Effect of scopolamine and nootropic drugs on rewarded alternation in a T-maze.
The effects of different doses of scopolamine, and of the nootropic drugs oxiracetam and aniracetam, were investigated on the performance of male Wistar rats in a T-maze requiring a spatial discrimination in the stem (reference memory) and an alternate discrimination in the arms (working memory). Criterion (90% correct responses) was reached within 3 days of daily training for stem and 9 days for arm discrimination. Scopolamine (0.1, 0.2, 0.6, and 1.0 mg/kg, SC, 60 min before session) significantly impaired working memory, as shown by a decrease in the number of correct alternations, without affecting reference memory. Both nootropic drugs (25-50 and 100 mg/kg PO) 30 min before scopolamine) attenuated the working memory impairment induced by scopolamine.
Bartolini
L
L
Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Florence, Italy.
Risaliti
R
R
Pepeu
G
G
D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011760:Pyrrolidinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012201:Reward; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D011760:Pyrrolidinones; C036466:aniracetam; D012601:Scopolamine; C040619:oxiracetam