Changes in Behaviour Associated with a Nervous System Poison (DDT.)

Abstract

The main purpose of the investigation was to show that behaviour measures can be used to investigate the effects of those toxic drugs which produce “biochemical lesions” in the nervous system although the nature of the lesions still remains undetermined. The advantages of this approach are twofold. First, a psychological study may help to uncover the initial effects of the drug, and thus provide evidence which may lead to the ultimate understanding of the action of the drug. Second, and of value from the practical point of view, such a method may be used to detect toxicity. In this study D.D.T. was used. Two experiments were performed on one control and four experimental groups of albino rats. Problem solving behaviour, speed and pattern of locomotion, and reaction to stress involving visual stimuli were observed. Problem solving behaviour was found to be unaffected by the drug; no changes were found in speed of locomotion, but pattern of locomotion revealed that “ataxia” was one of the initial effects of D.D.T. poisioning. The experimental animals were found to be generally less reactive to “stress”; “hyper-irritability” reported in previous studies being explicable in terms of exaggerated motor responses. The results obtained on “ataxia” showed that the procedure adopted here could be used to detect chronic D.D.T. toxicity in rats.