title: Enhancement of learning processes following an acute modafinil injection in mice.
abstract: Modafinil is a wakeness-promoting drug, which is effective in the treatment of narcolepsy; its effects on learning processes are however little studied. Thus, the present study was aimed at determining the effects of an acute modafinil injection on a serial reversal discrimination task performed in a T-maze in mice. Independent groups of mice varying by the level of pretest training (either 1 or 4 days of training) were used. Mice were injected each day with a gum arabic solution before each session began. On the second or the fifth day of training, a single dose of modafinil was injected before testing. Modafinil at 64 mg/kg but not at 32 mg/kg dramatically improved performance as compared to controls in subjects being trained 4 days, but not in subjects being trained 1 day. This improvement of learning was due to the more rapid emergence of a win-stay strategy in modafinil-treated subjects as compare to controls. Thus, our data show that an acute modafinil injection enhances learning processes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Université de Bordeaux 1, Batiment Biologie Animale, UMR CNRS 5106, Avenue des Facultés, 33405 Talence cédex, France. d.beracochea@neurocog.u-bordeaux.fr
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Béracochéa
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Celerier
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peres
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pierard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D000077408:Modafinil; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012193:Reversal Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D000077408:Modafinil