MOVEMENT DISORDER FOLLOWING EXCITOTOXIN LESIONS IN PRIMATES

WE previously reported on the histologic and neurochemical features of quinolinic acid lesions in primates which produce many of the characteristic features of Huntington's disease (HD). We now report on the effects of apomorphine in generating a movement disorder in four of these animals. Animals were tested with saline or apomorphine both before and after the lesions. All animals showed few spontaneous abnormal movements after lesioning, but showed marked dyskinetic movements following apomorphine administration. These results show that excitotoxin lesions in primates can produce an apomorphine-inducible movement disorder which closely resembles that of HD.