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Purkinje Cell Loss by OX7-Saporin Impairs Excitatory and Inhibitory Eyeblink Conditioning
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Purkinje Cell Loss by OX7-Saporin Impairs Excitatory and Inhibitory Eyeblink Conditioning

Brian C Nolan and John H Freeman
Behavioral neuroscience, Vol.119(1), pp.190-201
02/2005
DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.119.1.190
PMCID: PMC1393287
PMID: 15727524

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Abstract

Cerebellar cortical contributions to eyeblink conditioned excitation have been examined extensively. In contrast, very little evidence exists concerning the role of the cerebellar cortex in eyeblink conditioned inhibition. In the current study, rats were given intraventricular infusions of the immunotoxin OX7-saporin to selectively destroy Purkinje cells throughout the cerebellar cortex following excitatory conditioning. After a 2-week postinfusion period, the rats were given reacquisition training. After reacquiring excitatory conditioning, the rats were trained in a feature-negative discrimination procedure to establish conditioned inhibition. Rats treated with OX7-saporin showed impaired reacquisition of excitatory conditioning and acquisition of conditioned inhibition. The results suggest that Purkinje cells play important, but different, roles in conditioned excitation and inhibition in rats.

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