Combined ipsilateral limb use score as an index of motor deficits and neurorestoration in parkinsonian rats

Our aim was to apply a robust non‐drug induced sensorimotor test battery to assess the efficacy of neurorestorative therapies on the motor deficits caused by partial unilateral 6‐OHDA lesion mimicking early stage PD. Since the 6‐OHDA lesion protocols to induce partial DA depletion in striatum vary extensively between laboratories, we evaluated the associations between different intrastriatal 6‐OHDA doses (1 X 0‐20 and 2 X 0‐30 µg), striatal DA depletion (HPLC‐ECD) and D‐amphetamine induced rotation to identify a lesion protocol that would produce 40‐60% striatal DA depletion. Doses ≥ 6 µg produced a significant DA depletion (ANOVA, P