Acute stress or neuroleptics elicit sensorimotor deficits in MPTP-treated mice.

The present study evaluates the effects of MPTP-induced striatal DA depletions on sensorimotor behavior in mice. While MPTP produces no obvious behavioral deficits under normal conditions, acute stress (cold swim) or injection of low doses of haloperidol results in marked akinesia, catalepsy, and sensory neglect. Thus, significant behavioral impairments do accompany the neurotoxicity observed after MPTP administration in mice and render this a valuable animal model for studying mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease.