Asymmetrical orientation to edges of an openfield: modulation by striatal dopamine and relationship to motor asymmetries in the rat

Rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 4 or 8 micrograms) or sham lesions of the substantia nigra were examined (undrugged) for asymmetrical orientation to edges of a large openfield. Lesioned rats preferentially aligned with the edge such that the intact striatum was contralateral to the edge. The magnitude of this asymmetry was greatest in rats lesioned with the highest dose of 6-OHDA. There was no population left/right hemispheric …