Publication Date

4-24-1996

Abstract

In this study I investigated the effects of 192-lgG saporin injections into the medial septal area.(MSA) and nucleus basalis magnocel/ularis (NBM) on radial arm maze performance in the male rat. The results of the present study reveal that combined injections of 192-lgG saporin into the basal forebrain failed to disrupt RAM performance when compared to vehicle-injected controls. In addition, intraperitoneal injections using a muscarinic receptor blocker, scopolamine, failed to reveal a compensatory response of the cholinergic basal forebrain that may have explained the lack of behavioral effects of 192IgG saporin. Consequently, the results of this study suggest that a selective reduction in cholinergic transmission in the basal forebrain is, by itself, insufficient to account for the functional impairments observed in spatial learning in the rat. These data do not support the use of 192-lgG saporin as a viable approach to the elucidation of the neuropathological mechanisms that are associated with the cognitive deficits seen in Alzheimer's Disease.

Disciplines

Biology | Neuroscience and Neurobiology | Psychology

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