Abstract
Rat pups were treated with.7 mg/kg Colcemid from Postnatal Days 3 (PN3) to PN21, a treatment which has been previously shown to reduce dendritic development. To examine the behavioral effects of this treatment, Colcemid-treated animals were compared with saline-treated controls on PN16 in either an active or a passive avoidance task, and on PN31 in the Lashley III maze. Colcemid-treated rats took more trials to reach criterion on the passive avoidance task but were not significantly different from controls in the acquisition of the other two tests. However, once they had mastered the Lashley III maze, the Colcemid-treated animals explored fewer maze culls, a behavior that we interpreted as indicating reduced curiosity about their environment. The results are discussed in terms of deficient brain development and behavior, and models of mental deficiency.
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Petit, T. L., Biederman, G. B., & McMullen, P. The effects ofaluminum on the brain and behavior ofrabbits. In preparation.
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This research was supported by the National Research Council of Canada, Grant A0292.
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Petit, T.L., Moore, W.L. Behavioral effects of Colcemid-induced deficient brain development in the rat. Psychobiology 7, 139–142 (1979). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332898
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332898