title: Bilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion in the dopaminergic A8 cell group produces long-lasting deficits in motor programming of cats.
abstract: The effects of a small 6-hydroxydopamine lesion in the A8 cell group were studied in cats (N = 8) trained to walk on a treadmill. This setup allows the assessment of subtle changes in motor programming. The lesion produced long-lasting effects: (a) a decreased ability to switch arbitrarily motor patterns; (b) an increased ability to switch motor patterns with the help of stimuli provided by the apparatus; (c) alterations in the sequential patterning of motor behavior and in the kinetic melody of movements. It is suggested that the lesion produced a hypofunction of A9 cells that is compensated by a hyperfunction of A10 cells. It is concluded that subtle lesions in the A8 cell group produce long-lasting deficits in motor programming, implying that degeneration of this dopaminergic cell group may contribute to symptoms seen in Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychoneuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pathophysiology of the Nervous System, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Arts
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Cools
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002415:Cats; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D007699:Kinesthesis / Q000502:physiology; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D016627:Oxidopamine; D012012:Red Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000502:physiology*; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016627:Oxidopamine; D004298:Dopamine