Lateralized wall-facing versus turning as measures of behavioral asymmetries and recovery of function after injection of XXXX into the substantia nigra.

@entity935 @entity3826 @entity35 @entity4944 @entity2955
The tendency of a @entity35 to approach the wall of an open-field and to travel along the perimeter of the field (termed as "peritaxis" or "wall-facing") is affected by unilateral removal of the vibrissae. Peritaxis is lateralized by hemivibrissotomy. The finding that the @entity935 agonist @entity3826 reversed the direction of wall-facing asymmetry after 10 days of vibrissae removal suggested a link between this sensorimotor asymmetry and @entity935 transmission. The present experiment examined the influence of a unilateral injection of @entity2955 into the substantia nigra on peritaxis and compared this behavioral measure with turning behavior as an index of lesion-induced sensorimotor asymmetries and of recovery of function. The lesion of the substantia nigra reduced wall-facing with the side contralateral to the lesion to near-zero values. During the first week after the injection animals with incomplete @entity935 depletion recovered from this asymmetry. The changes in wall-facing behavior were paralleled by turning asymmetries. Wall-facing was at least as sensitive to application of @entity4944 and @entity3826 as turning behavior. We concluded that lateralized wall-facing, or peritaxis, can serve as a useful index of dysfunction in the nigrostriatal @entity935 system and the influence of catecholaminergic drugs. Wall-facing can also serve as a measure of recovery of function.
