These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Oral methylphenidate improves spatial learning and memory in pre- and periadolescent rats.
    Author: Zhu N, Weedon J, Dow-Edwards DL.
    Journal: Behav Neurosci; 2007 Dec; 121(6):1272-9. PubMed ID: 18085880.
    Abstract:
    Methylphenidate (MPD) is widely prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the United States. Patients, mostly school-age children, are taking the drug orally. To simulate the human condition, the authors used a cracker to administer methylphenidate orally (without the stress of handling) from Postnatal Day (PND) 22 to PND 40 and determined the effects of daily low-dose administration on the learning and performance of a radial arm maze win-shift task with all 8 arms baited. Number of entries to repeat, time to finish 8 entries, and days to reach criterion (at least 7 entries without errors for 4 out of 5 consecutive trials) were evaluated. An improvement during the first 7 days was revealed in both male and female rats treated with 3.0 mg/kg of oral methylphenidate compared with the controls. On PND 40, locomotor activity levels were not significantly different in the 3.0 mg/kg treated group compared with the controls during the initial 5 min or during the full 1 hr of recording. These data suggest that oral administration of low-dose MPD improves spatial learning and memory in both male and female preadolescent rats.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]