title: Positive impact of levetiracetam on emotional learning and memory in naive mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effect of an antiepileptic drug on cognitive function is of primary importance with respect to the patient's quality of life. Levetiracetam (LEV) is a novel antiepileptic drug used to treat epilepsy, but its effects on spatial and emotional learning and memory are not yet well understood. The goal of our study was to establish the effects of LEV (17 and 54 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (IP)) on spatial memory retrieval in the Morris water maze test and on acquisition and memory formation in the passive avoidance (PA) test in naive mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were adult male BALB/c mice. Spatial learning and memory was established with the Morris water maze (MWM) test. The 'time spent in escape platforms quadrant' and the 'distance to platform' analyses were measured using a video tracking system to determine spatial memory function. Emotional learning and memory were determined with a one-trial, step-through passive avoidance test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the MWM test, LEV (17 and 54 mg/kg) neither affected the time spent in the target quadrant nor altered the distance to platform. Moreover, LEV had no effect on swim speed. In the PA task, LEV (17 and 54 mg/kg) significantly prolonged retention latency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that LEV did not alter spatial memory retrieval in the MWM test, but it did show some ameliorating effects on acquisition and memory formation in the PA test in naive mice.
authors: Kocaeli University, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Psychopharmacology Laboratory, 41380, Kocaeli, Umuttepe, Turkey. ikomsu@hotmail.com
authors: Ipek Komsuoglu
authors: IK
authors: Celikyurt
authors: Guner
authors: G
authors: Ulak
authors: Oguz
authors: O
authors: Mutlu
authors: Furuzan Yildiz
authors: FY
authors: Akar
authors: Serap
authors: S
authors: Mulayim
authors: Faruk
authors: F
authors: Erden
authors: Sezer Sener
authors: SS
authors: Komsuoglu
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010889:Piracetam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam