Visual evoked potentials in the rat quinolinic acid model of Huntington's disease

Intrastriatal injection of quinolinic acid (QA) in rats induces some of the neuropathological and neurochemical alterations observed in the striatum of patients suffering from Huntington's disease (HD). In addition this animal model mimics the diminution of the amplitude of early cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) seen in HD patients. The present study investigated whether the QA model also exhibits abnormalities of early cortical visual evoked potentials (VEPs) observed in HD patients. Two weeks after unilateral intrastriatal injection of QA (240 nmol) early VEPs elicited in response to light flashes were not significantly altered in lightly pentobarbital-anaesthetized rats. It is concluded that (1) the QA animal model of HD does not mimic the VEP abnormalities seen in HD patients, and (2) a striatal lesion does not modulate transmission of visual input to the cortex in rats.