title: Effect of pregabalin on fear-based conditioned avoidance learning and spatial learning in a mouse model of scopolamine-induced amnesia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cognitive deficits are one of the frequent symptoms accompanying epilepsy or its treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, the effect on cognition of intraperitoneally administered antiepileptic drug, pregabalin (10 mg/kg), was investigated in scopolamine-induced memory-impaired mice in the passive avoidance task and Morris water maze task. The effect of scopolamine and pregabalin on animals' locomotor activity was also studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the retention phase of the passive avoidance task, pregabalin reversed memory deficits induced by scopolamine (p < 0.05). During the acquisition phase of the Morris water maze pregabalin-treated memory-impaired mice performed the test with longer escape latencies than the vehicle-treated mice (significant at p < 0.05 on Day 5, and at p < 0.001 on Day 6). There were no differences in this parameter between the scopolamine-treated control group and pregabalin-treated memory-impaired mice, which indicated that pregabalin had no influence on spatial learning in this task. During the probe trial a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in terms of the mean number of target crossings between vehicle-treated mice and pregabalin-treated memory-impaired mice but there was no difference between the scopolamine-treated control group and mice treated with pregabalin + scopolamine. Pregabalin did not influence locomotor activity increased by scopolamine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In passive avoidance task, pregabalin reversed learning deficits induced by scopolamine. In the Morris water maze, pregabalin did not influence spatial learning deficits induced by scopolamine. These results are relevant for epileptic patients treated with pregabalin and those who use it for other therapeutic indications (anxiety, pain).
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy , Jagiellonian University, Medical College , Krakow , Poland.
authors.forename: Kinga
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sałat
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy , Jagiellonian University, Medical College , Krakow , Poland.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Podkowa
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy , Jagiellonian University, Medical College , Krakow , Poland.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malikowska
authors.affiliation: b Department of Fundamental Engineering, Faculty of Production Engineering , Warsaw University of Life Sciences , Warsaw , Poland.
authors.forename: Jędrzej
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trajer
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D000069583:Pregabalin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012601:Scopolamine; D065853:Spatial Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000069583:Pregabalin; D012601:Scopolamine
keywords: Fear-based conditioned avoidance learning; Morris water maze; pregabalin; scopolamine; spatial learning