Age-dependent deficits in radial maze performance in the rat: effect of chronic treatment with acetyl-L-carnitine

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1990;14(3):359-69. doi: 10.1016/0278-5846(90)90024-b.

Abstract

1. An eight-arm radial maze was the experimental model used to investigate spatial learning in rats of different ages and in old rats treated with Acetyl-L-Carnitine. 2. Extramaze visual cues were minimized in order to study the rat's ability to perform using a strategy. 3. The experimental findings indicated a deterioration of the old rat's ability to learn and solve the radial maze. 4. Long-term treatment (8 months) with Acetyl-L-Carnitine was found to antagonize such a deterioration.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcarnitine / pharmacology*
  • Aging / psychology*
  • Animals
  • Carnitine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Exploratory Behavior / drug effects
  • Learning* / drug effects
  • Male
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Reference Values

Substances

  • Acetylcarnitine
  • Carnitine