Fluoxetine Maintains a State of Heightened Responsiveness to Motor Training Early After Stroke in a Mouse Model.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

Data from both humans and animal models suggest that most recovery from motor impairment after stroke occurs in a sensitive period that lasts only weeks and is mediated, in part, by an increased responsiveness to training. Here, we used a mouse model of focal cortical stroke to test 2 hypotheses. First, we investigated whether responsiveness to training decreases over time after stroke. Second, we tested whether fluoxetine, which can influence synaptic plasticity and stroke recovery, can prolong the period over which large training-related gains can be elicited after stroke.

Methods

Mice were trained to perform a skilled prehension task to an asymptotic level of performance after which they underwent stroke induction in the caudal forelimb area. The mi

SUBMITTER: Ng KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4934654 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature