Reversal by L-dopa of impaired learning due to destruction of the dopaminergic nigro-neostriatal projection.
Rats receiving bilateral stereotaxic injections of 6-hydroxydopamine into the zona compacta of the substantia nigra failed to learn a one-way active avoidance response. Small doses of L-dopa (1.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) in combination with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor reversed this impairment. Animals with lesions which acquired the avoidance response during L-dopa administration retained this response when drug treatment was discontinued. These experiments suggest that the dopaminergic nigro-neostriatal projection serves a critical function in the acquisition of learned instrumental responses.
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects*
D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D007980:Levodopa; D004298:Dopamine