Generation of Dose-Response Data Using Activity Measures

Abstract

The measurement of activity is being employed as a routine test to screen for neurotoxicity. Yet the detection capability of many activity monitoring techniques is limited to the extent that the potential for false negative results is present. This study dissects a drug-induced change in behavior to illustrate the relative importance of various measures in the delineation of dose-response information. This type of analysis is crucial for understanding what measures are needed to generate meaningful activity data. The behavioral response to four doses of amphetamine is determined using three independent measures of change, the number of behavioral initiations, total time, and time structure. Subjectivity in the identification of behavior was minimized by using a computer pattern recognition system to classify all acts. It was found that the biggest contributor to dose-response delineation was the measure of time distribution and sequence, a measure ignored by most automated activity devices available today. Both the behavioral act and the measures used must be specifically identified to avoid artificial summations that could underestimate or overestimate the overall effect on behavior.