Abstract
Dopaminergic signaling modulates learning and memory. Consequently, treatment with the dopamine precursor levodopa ameliorates memory deficits in murine models of Alzheimer's disease. In healthy humans, administration of L-DOPA increases learning and memory. However, it is unknown whether dopamine-enhanced memory can also be modeled in normal animals. We here investigated if in healthy non-food-deprived rats low and high doses of levodopa (20 and 50 mg levodopa/kg bodyweight) increase spatial learning and long-term memory performance in a radial arm maze. After 4 months, rats treated with levodopa during training had significantly better memory of food rewarded arms than vehicle-treated animals. Interestingly, acute learning curves did not differ between levodopa and vehicle animals. This suggests that enhanced dopaminergic signaling may have predominantly acted on the cortical long-term consolidation of newly acquired spatial information.
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