Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 26 October 1979:
Vol. 206. no. 4417, pp. 477 - 479
DOI: 10.1126/science.504992
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Science, Vol 206, Issue 4417, 477-479
Copyright © 1979 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Movement disorders of aged rats: reversal by dopamine receptor stimulation

JF Marshall and N Berrios

When placed in a tank of water, aged rats (24 to 27 months old) showed marked impairments in swimming. Compared with young adult rats (3 to 4 months old), the older animals moved their limbs less vigorously and were less successful in keeping their heads above water. The young, but not old, rats maintained a position nearly horizontal to the water surface and planed across it. These movement dysfunctions of aged rats resemble those seen in young adult animals that have sustained injury to brain dopamine-containing neurons. The swimming impairments of the aged rats were reversed by the dopamine receptor stimulant apomorphine and by the biosynthetic precursor of dopamine, L-dopa. Thus, age-related alterations in brain dopaminergic systems may be responsible for some of the movement disturbances associated with senescence.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Impaired Motor Coordination in Mice That Lack punc.
W. Yang, C. Li, and S. L. Mansour (2001)
Mol. Cell. Biol. 21, 6031-6043
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Behavioral and Neurochemical Effects of Intranigral Administration of Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor on Aged Fischer 344 Rats.
M. A. Hebert and G. A. Gerhardt (1997)
J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 282, 760-768
   Abstract »    Full Text »
Aged rats: recovery of motor impairments by intrastriatal nigral grafts.
N. Gage, S. Dunnett, U Stenevi, and A Bjorklund (1983)
Science 221, 966-969
   Abstract »    PDF »
Clinical Science: Aging and Oral Motor Function: Evidence for Altered Performance Among Older Persons.
B.J. Baum and L. Bodner (1983)
Journal of Dental Research 62, 2-6
   Abstract »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)