Disruption of two-way active avoidance behavior produced by nimodipine

Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1994 Mar;47(3):757-9. doi: 10.1016/0091-3057(94)90186-4.

Abstract

Nimodipine, a voltage-sensitive calcium channel blocker, has been suggested to be a procognitive drug. In the studies reported herein, we found that low doses of IP-injected nimodipine (0.5 and 0.05 mg/kg) impaired two-way active avoidance behavior. The acquisition phase of the training was the same for drug-treated and control animals. However, the nimodipine-injected rats achieved a significantly lower level of performance. The no-shock tests revealed much faster extinction of the learned behavior in drug-treated vs. control animals. These results could be interpreted as indicating learning-disruptive effects of nimodipine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Avoidance Learning / drug effects*
  • Depression, Chemical
  • Electroshock
  • Nimodipine / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar

Substances

  • Nimodipine