Abstract
Spontaneous locomotor activity was measured in young (6-8 months) and aged (24-26 months) Fischer 344 (F344) rats. Following habituation to the activity monitors, aged rats demonstrated significantly diminished motor activity as quantified by total distance traveled and vertical activity. Movement speed did not differ significantly between the two groups. Following habituation, rats were administered acute doses of fluoxetine, sertraline, or nomifensine (1.0, 3.0, and 10.0 mg/kg). Fluoxetine diminished all three behavioral measures in the young rats, while in the old rats, fluoxetine's effects were limited to a robust attenuation of vertical activity. Sertraline decreased movement speed and vertical activity, but not total distance traveled, in the young rats. Unlike fluoxetine, sertraline produced no significant effects on any of the three behavioral variables in the old rats. Nomifensine increased behavioral scores for both age groups. The results are discussed in relation to acute motor side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in motor-impaired aged individuals, as these effects may influence their eventual use in the clinic.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 325-332 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2 2002 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by USPHS Grant Nos. AG06434, AG13494, NS39787, and a Level II Research Scientist Award (MH01245) to G.A.G.
Keywords
- Aging
- Antidepressants
- Dopamine
- Locomotor activity
- SSRI
- Serotonin
- Transporters
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Toxicology
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Biological Psychiatry
- Behavioral Neuroscience