title: l-DOPA improves odor discrimination learning in rats.
abstract: Using a forced-choice odor discrimination task in rats, we show here that intraperitoneal injections of l-DOPA improve rats' odor discrimination performance in comparison to control rats injected with saline. Although the exact mechanism of l-DOPA and potential action on dopamine receptors remains unclear, the present results indicate that rats injected with the 20-50 mg/kg of l-DOPA performed significantly better in an odor discrimination task than did control rats. In addition, we observed a significant correlation between the concentration of l-DOPA and odor discrimination performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior Mudd Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pavlis
authors.forename: Casara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feretti
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Nita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Linster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D007980:Levodopa