Scopolamine impairs both working and reference memory in rats: a replication and extension.
Rats were trained to run in a spatial, radial maze for sucrose reward using a procedure that permitted determination of two memory functions [working memory (WM) and reference memory (RM)]. Injections of saline, 0.1, 0.4, and 0.8 mg/kg of scopolamine hydrobromide were administered using a Latin-square design; a single dose (0.4 mg/kg) of scopolamine methylbromide served as a control for peripheral drug effects. The smallest dose of scopolamine (0.1 mg/kg) had no measurable effect on performance, but as the dose was increased to 0.4 and 0.8 mg/kg there were increases in both WM and RM errors, in errors of omission, and increases in running time. These results support the view that the effects of scopolamine on performance in the radial maze is not specific for working memory, but rather the effects are more general in nature.
Okaichi
H
H
Department of Psychology, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan.
Oshima
Y
Y
Jarrard
L E
LE
D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D012601:Scopolamine