title: Swimming activity in dystonia musculorum mutant mice.
abstract: Dystonia musculorum (dt) mutant mice, characterized by degeneration of spinocerebellar fibers, were evaluated in a visible platform swim test. It was found that dt mutants were slower to reach the platform than normal mice. However, the number of quadrants traversed was not higher in dt mutants. It is concluded that spinocerebellar fibers to the vermis are important in limb control during swimming but not in visuo-motor guidance (navigational skills) of the animal towards a visible goal, at least in regard to the quadrant measure. It is not excluded that a measure tracing their path may find a mild deviation from the goal.
authors.affiliation: Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, Neurology Service, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lalonde
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Joyal
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cote
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D002529:Cerebellar Nuclei / Q000503:physiopathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D004422:Dystonia Musculorum Deformans / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000503:physiopathology; D013550:Swimming; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000503:physiopathology