The effects of pentobarbital on spatial learning, motor coordination, and exploration.
Mice injected with either 8, 16 or 32 mg/kg of pentobarbital were as efficient as control subjects in learning and recalling the location of a submerged platform in a water maze. The highest dose of pentobarbital decreased fall latencies in the coat-hanger test of motor coordination. Exploratory activity was not affected by these doses of pentobarbital. The absence of a deficit in spatial learning and in exploratory activity occurred even at a dose sufficient to cause a deficit in motor coordination. These results stand in contrast to previous findings indicating spatial deficits in rats injected with benzodiazepines.
Beaudin
S
S
University of Montreal, Department of Psychology, Quebec, Canada.
Lalonde
R
R
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D018757:GABA Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*
D018757:GABA Modulators; D010424:Pentobarbital