Amphetamine with experience promotes recovery of locomotor function after unilateral frontal cortex injury in the cat.

In cats, a single dose of D-amphetamine (AMP) given at 10 days after unilateral frontal cortex ablation produced an immediate and enduring (60 day) acceleration of beam-walking ability compared to saline control animals. Four doses of AMP at 4-day intervals promoted recovery faster than a single dose of AMP. Subjects with no beam-walking experience while under AMP intoxication were not different from saline controls after two doses of AMP. However, after 4 doses these cats recovered significantly faster than saline controls and were comparable to animals that received AMP and experience under the drug.