Differential behavioral effects of partial bilateral lesions of ventral tegmental area or substantia nigra pars compacta in rats.
Neuroscience. 2008-06-01; 153(4): 1213-1224
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.01.084
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1. Neuroscience. 2008 Jun 2;153(4):1213-24. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.01.084.
Epub 2008 Feb 29.
Differential behavioral effects of partial bilateral lesions of ventral tegmental
area or substantia nigra pars compacta in rats.
Pioli EY(1), Meissner W, Sohr R, Gross CE, Bezard E, Bioulac BH.
Author information:
(1)Universite Victor Segalen, Bordeaux 2, Centre National de la Recherche
Scienctifique, Bordeaux Institute of Neuroscience, UMR 5227, 146 rue Léo Saignat,
Bordeaux Cedex, France.
Akinesia (or absence of movement) is a prominent feature of Parkinson’s disease.
Akinetic symptoms, however, are also observed in depression and schizophrenia,
which support the hypothesis that akinesia involves more than only motor
behavior. A common feature of these disorders is the disruption of dopamine
homeostasis in the CNS. Here we aimed at relating the respective involvement of
the nigrostriatal and mesocortical dopaminergic pathways to akinesia. We
investigated in the rat the relative effects of selective bilateral partial
lesions of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) or ventral tegmental area (VTA)
which did not affect locomotion, on fine motor, motivational and cognitive
behaviors. Motor impairments were measured by the evaluation of fine motor
control in the stepping test and in the paw reaching test. Cognitive functions
were assessed by various paradigms: spontaneous alternation in the Y maze and
object exploration task. Motivational behavior was evaluated by the 100-pellets
test. The results suggested that specific behavioral impairments are obtained
following selective lesions of either SNc or VTA. SNc-lesioned rats exhibited
deficits in fine motor functions as previously described in animal models of
Parkinson’s disease, whereas VTA-lesioned rats demonstrated traits of
perseveration without significant motor impairments.
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.01.084
PMID: 18455318 [Indexed for MEDLINE]