Cerebellar Ataxia in Hamsters Inoculated with Rat Virus

Abstract
Chronic ataxia associated with hypoplasia of the cerebellum was induced by intracerebral inoculation of newborn hamsters with various strains of rat virus. The condition usually became recognizable within 3 weeks of inoculation and remained static as the animals matured. Preliminary studies suggest that hypoplasia is induced by the rat virus acting on the outer germinal layer of the cerebellum at a critical time in its ontogenic development.