Effects of nimodipine on two neurologic measures sensitive to sensorimotor cortex damage

Seventeen rats with lesions involving the sensorimotor forepaw and hindpaw regions were tested for the ability to run along a narrow bridge without slipping and to hold on to a small-diameter dowel suspended above the ground. Nine of the animals received the calcium channel blocker, nimodipine, once per day for the first 2 weeks after surgery, while the remaining eight rats received vehicle alone. Repeated measurements over the first 3 postoperative weeks showed deficits among the rats with lesions on both tasks. The animals treated with nimodipine, however, showed much better recovery, especially after the initial testing sessions.