Cerebral decortication reverses the effect of amphetamine on striatal D2 dopamine binding site density.

Unilateral ablation of the cerebral cortex produces a decrease of approximately 38% in striatal D2 dopamine binding site density. Chronic d-amphetamine treatment also produces a decrease of about 22% in D2 binding site density. Paradoxically, when rats were hemidecorticated and treated chronically with d-amphetamine, the density of striatal D2 dopamine binding sites on the decorticated side was increased (by about 50%) rather than decreased. Evidently d-amphetamine-induced down-regulation of D2 dopamine binding sites depends on an intact corticostriatal pathway.