Amantadine and ketamine-induced improvement of motor coordination in lurcher mutant mice

Article type: Short Communication

Authors: Lalonde, Robert | Joyal, Christian C. | Guastavino, Jean-Marie | Côté, Chantal | Botez, M.I

Affiliations: Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, Neurology Service, Neurobiology Laboratory, Montreal, Quebec, H2W IT8 (Canada) and University of Montreal, Departments of Medicine and Psychology, Montreal, Quebec (Canada) | University of Nancy I, Behavioral Biology and Physiology Laboratory, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy (France)

Note: [] Correspondence: R. Lalonde, Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, Neurology Service, Neurobiology Laboratory, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2W 1T8.

Abstract: The effects of amantadine and ketamine were compared to a placebo in a coat-hanger test on lurcher mutant mice. This test measures motor coordination and is dependent on cerebellar functioning. Both drugs improved motor coordination of the cerebellar mutants in that the time taken to reach the side-bar according to a 2 paw criterion was decreased during the drugged condition in comparison to the non-drugged condition. This result indicates that NMDA receptor antagonists may improve motor coordination in animals with cerebellar disease.

Keywords: Lurcher mutant, Cerebellum, Ketamine, NMDA antagonist

DOI: 10.3233/RNN-1993-55607

Journal: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 5, no. 5-6, pp. 367-370, 1993