Application of In Vivo Voltammetry to Behavioral Pharmacology

In vivo voltammetry can be applied to direct measurement of the catechol metabolites of dopamine and serotonin, such as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), in the brain using unanesthetized, freely moving rats. The levels of DOPAC and 5-HIAA in the brain measured by in vivo voltammetry may reflect the rates of release of dopamine and serotonin and the functional activity of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons (Gonon et al., 1980, 1981; Cespuglio et al., 1981a,b).