Motor Improvement of Skilled Forelimb Use Induced by Treatment with Growth Hormone and Rehabilitation Is Dependent on the Onset of the Treatment after Cortical Ablation

Figure 7

Animals treated with GH or vehicle at 35 days after cortical ablation. Behavioral results obtained in the paw-reaching-for-food task with the preferred paw (impaired paw) at the presurgical phase (PRE), postablation (POST), and rehabilitative therapies. (a) Mean percentage of successful responses (successful responses/total number of responses). (b) Mean of the total number of responses (successful and unsuccessful with both paws). The rehabilitative therapies consisted in the forced use of the impaired paw, in daily sessions for 3 min during 9 consecutive days indicated in (x-axis). GH-treated animals (LGH35) improved their percentage of successful responses after the second session, reaching a value no longer different to that of the sham-operated control group (CV), while vehicle-treated animals (LV35) did not change their low percentage of successful results. Significant levels are obtained after comparison with sham-operated controls (CV). β = ; Δ =  (Bonferroni’s test). GH arrows indicate when GH treatment commenced and finished in LGH35 animals.

(a)

(b)