Behavioral characterization of d- and l-amphetamine: neurochemical implications.

Various doses of d- and l-amphetamine affect the temporal pattern of rat behavior in the following ways: First, the patterns of activity produced by d- and l-amphetamine are similar but out of phase; that is, the response to d-amphetamine has a relatively shorter latency whereas the effects of l-amphetamine persist for longer periods of time. Second, d-amphetamine is approximately five times as potent as l-amphetamine in its effects on both the total amount of locomotor activity and the duration of stereotypy. Both amphetamine-induced locomotion and stereotypy may be mediated by the same neurochemical mechanisms.