Improvement of learning processes following chronic systemic administration of modafinil in mice.
This study was aimed at determining the effects of a chronic modafinil intraperitoneal administration on the rate of learning in a series of five serial spatial discrimination reversals (SSDR) in a T-maze. Results showed that a daily modafinil administration at 64 mg/kg but not at 32 mg/kg induced a faster learning rate as compared to controls. This learning improvement in experimental mice was due to the faster emergence of a win-stay rule over days of testing. In contrast, a second experiment showed that the same modafinil treatment had no significant effect on contingently reinforced alternation rates over five successive days of testing, as compared to controls. Thus, the results show that modafinil spared the ability to shift responses over trials and consequently, that the use of the win-stay rule to solve the SSDR task observed in modafinil-treated animals is due to an improvement of learning processes.
Béracochéa
Daniel
D
Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, UMR CNRS 5106, Université de Bordeaux 1, Batiment Biologie Animale, Avenue des Facultés 33405 Talence Cédex, France. d.beracochea@neurocog.u-bordeaux.fr
Celerier
Aurélie
A
Borde
Nathalie
N
Valleau
Magalie
M
Peres
Michel
M
Pierard
Christophe
C
D000818:Animals; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D000077408:Modafinil; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects
D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D000077408:Modafinil