title: Spontaneous alternation, motor activity, and spatial learning in hot-foot mutant mice.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Université de Nancy 1, Laboratoire Biologie et Physiologie du Comportement, URA CNRS 1293, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filali
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lalonde
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Bensoula
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guastavino
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lestienne
mesh_terms: 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