AMPHETAMINE AND TASK-SPECIFIC PRACTICE AUGMENT RECOVERY OF VIBRISSAE-EVOKED FORELIMB PLACING AFTER UNILATERAL SENSORIMOTOR CORTICAL INJURY IN THE RAT

This study investigated the relative contribution off amphetamine admi nistration and task-specific practice during the period of drug action to recovery of forelimb-placing ability after unilateral electrolytic lesions of the sensorimotor cortex (SMC) in rats, Subjects were divid ed into groups receiving amphetamine plus postinjection forelimb-placi ng practice, amphetamine only, saline plus postinjection forelimb-plac ing practice, or saline only, The results revealed that groups of subj ects receiving either amphetamine, postinjection practice, or a combin ation of these treatments exhibited the greatest enhancement of rates of vibrissae-evoked forelimb-placing recovery, These data suggest that these treatments can have an enduring beneficial effect on vibrissae- evoked forelimb-placing recovery without any immediate restorative eff ect on forelimb-placing ability, The recovery patterns and experimenta l evidence (see Feeney and Sutton, 1988; Chaouloff, 1989) suggest that the beneficial effect of the two therapies may be mediated by catecho lamine release.