Spontaneous alternation, motor activity, and spatial learning in hot-foot mutant mice.
Hot-foot mutant mice, characterized by defective innervation of Purkinje cells and an ataxic gait, were less active than normal mice in a T-maze. In spontaneous alternation testing with either single or multiple trials, hot-foot mutants, contrary to normal mice, did not alternate above chance. Moreover, the mutants had a higher number of errors and higher escape latencies in a water-filled Z-maze. These results indicate that in addition to motor coordination deficits, these cerebellar mutants have deficits in spatial learning and perseverate choices of maze arms.
Filali
M
M
Université de Nancy 1, Laboratoire Biologie et Physiologie du Comportement, URA CNRS 1293, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
Lalonde
R
R
Bensoula
A N
AN
Guastavino
J M
JM
Lestienne
F
F
D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors