Abstract
BackgroundIn an attempt to model some behavioral aspects of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), we examined whether an existing genetic animal model of ADHD is valid for investigating not only locomotor hyperactivity, but also more complex motor coordination problems displayed by the majority of children with ADHD.MethodsWe subjected young adolescent Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHRs), the most commonly used genetic animal model of ADHD, to a battery of tests for motor activity, gross motor coordination, and skilled reaching. Wistar (WIS) rats were used as controls.ResultsSimilar to children with ADHD, young adolescent SHRs displayed locomotor hyperactivity in a familiar, but not in a novel environment. They also had lower performance scores in a complex skilled reaching task when compared to WIS rats, especially in the most sensitive measure of skilled performance (i.e., single attempt success). In contrast, their gross motor performance on a Rota-Rod test was similar to that of WIS rats.ConclusionThe results support the notion that the SHR strain is a useful animal model system to investigate potential molecular mechanisms underlying fine motor skill problems in children with ADHD.
Highlights
In an attempt to model some behavioral aspects of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), we examined whether an existing genetic animal model of ADHD is valid for investigating locomotor hyperactivity, and more complex motor coordination problems displayed by the majority of children with ADHD
The present study provides evidence supporting the notion that the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHRs) strain is a useful animal model system of ADHD that allows the investigation of locomotor hyperactivity, and more complex motor coordination problems displayed by the majority of children with ADHD
The results of the present study showed that both SHRs and WIS rats displayed similar locomotor activity during the initial exploratory phase of open field exposure, indicating that the increased locomotor activity in SHRs was not triggered by novelty
Summary
In an attempt to model some behavioral aspects of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), we examined whether an existing genetic animal model of ADHD is valid for investigating locomotor hyperactivity, and more complex motor coordination problems displayed by the majority of children with ADHD. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting approximately 3-9% of all school-aged children [1] It is characterized by a persistent, developmentally inappropriate pattern of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity that impairs academic performance, social interaction, and family function. We took advantage of a well-validated rat skilled reaching task that has been widely used to model neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease [15], to investigate whether the SHR strain is valid for investigating locomotor hyperactivity, and more complex motor coordination problems displayed by the majority of children and adolescent with ADHD. The Wistar (WIS) strain was used as control since this strain is more active than the WKY strain
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