Effects of post-training modafinil administration in a discriminative avoidance task in mice

• Published in: Acta neuropsychiatrica 2015-08, Vol.27 (4), p.235-241
• Main Authors: Fernandes, Helaine Arrais, Zanin, Karina Agustini, Patti, Camilla de Lima, Lopes-Silva, Leonardo Brito, Bizerra, Carolina Souza, Bittencourt, Lia Rita Azeredo, Tufik, Sergio, Frussa-Filho, Roberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal cognition; Animals; Anxiety; Anxiety - chemically induced; Avoidance Learning - drug effects; Benzhydryl Compounds - pharmacology; Discrimination Learning - drug effects; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug dosages; Experiments; Laboratory animals; Male; Maze Learning - drug effects; Memory; Memory - drug effects; Memory Disorders - chemically induced; Mice; Short Communications; Variance analysis; Wakefulness-Promoting Agents - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0924-2708; 1601-5215
• DOI: 10.1017/neu.2015.16

Although the cognitive-enhancing abilities after modafinil have been demonstrated, its effects on memory consolidation remain overlooked. We investigated the effects of repeated modafinil administration on consolidation of a discriminative avoidance task. Mice were trained in the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task. After training, mice received intraperitonial modafinil (doses of 32, 64 or 128 mg/kg). Animals were treated for more 9 consecutive days; 30 min after the last injection, testing was performed. In addition, the effects of 32 mg/kg modafinil on consolidation at different time points were examined. The smaller dose of modafinil (32 mg/kg) impaired memory consolidation, without modifying anxiety or locomotion. Still, modafinil post-training administration at 1 or 2 h impaired memory persistence. Modafinil impaired memory consolidation in a dose- and time-dependent fashion.