Baclofen infused in rat hippocampal formation impairs spatial learning

Recent studies show that baclofen, a selective GABAB agonist, impairs different kinds of learning. In the present study we investigated the effect of microinfused baclofen into the hippocampus of male Wistar rats, on the performance in the Morris water maze. Rats of 8–10 weeks of age were implanted with cannulae aimed bilaterally at the hippocampal formation. Baclofen (1 μl of 0.2 mM, 2.0 mM, and 20.0 mM) or sterilized saline was microinfused 1 h before each daily session (3 trials/session, 1 session/day) for 4 days. On the fifth day, the animals did not receive drug or saline injections and the retention of the location of the escape platform was tested in a 30 s free swim trial. Results from the free swim trial indicate that the doses of baclofen used during training affected the ability of the rats to swim to the target quadrant. Although no significant difference compared with the saline group was observed, the experimental rats showed a more generalized swim trajectory in the area of the target and both adjacent quadrants. Moreover, 1μl of 20.0 mM baclofen also impaired the acquisition. We suggest that baclofen has an impairing action on spatial learning, although more studies should be conducted to reach a more precise conclusion. Hippocampus 1998;8:109–113. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.