The effects of pentobarbital on spatial learning, motor coordination, and exploration

Mice injected with either 8, 16 or 32 mg/kg of pentobarbital were as efficient as control subjects in learning and recalling the location of a submerged platform in a water maze. The highest dose of pentobarbital decreased fall latencies in the coat-hanger test of motor coordination. Exploratory activity was not affected by these doses of pentobarbital. The absence of a deficit in spatial learning and in exploratory activity occurred even at a dose sufficient to cause a deficit in motor coordination. These results stand in contrast to previous findings indicating spatial deficits in rats injected with benzodiazepines.