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.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bing

R. J.

McNamara

(1946). Studies on the pharmacology of D.D.T. (chronic toxicity of D.D.T. in dogs). Johns Hopk. Hosp. Bull. 78, 308.

Bruce

H. M.

Parkes

A. S.

(1949). Feeding and breeding of laboratory animals. IX. A complete cube diet for mice and rats. J. Hyg., Camb. 47, 202–8.

Cameron

G. R.

Burgess

(1945). The toxicity of 2,2-bis(p-chloroph.enyl)1, 1, 1, -trichloroethane (D.D.T.). Brit. med. J. 1, 865–71.

Carey

E. J.

Donner

E. M.

Toomey

F. B.

Hanshalter

(1946). Morphologic effects of D.D.T. on nerve ending, neurosomes, and fiber types in voluntary muscles. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol., N.Y. 62, 76–83.

Crescitelli

Gilman

(1946). Electrical manifestations of the cerebellum and cerebral cortex following D.D.T. administration in cats and monkeys. Amer. J. Physiol. 147, 127.

Fitzhugh

D. G.

Nelson

A. A.

(1947). The chronic oral toxicity of D.D.T. (2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-i, i-trichloroethane). J. Pharmacol. 89, 18–30.

Hall

C. S.

(1934). Emotional behaviour in the rat. I. Defecation and urination as measures of individual differences in emotionality. J. comp. Psychol. 18, 403.

Hebb

D. O.

Williams

(1946). A method of rating animal intelligence. J. genet. Psychol. 34, 59–65.

Jonckheere

A. R.

(1954). A distribution-free A-sample test against ordered alternatives. Biometrika 43, 133–45.

10.

Knöpfelmacher

Khairy

Russell

R. W.

Yudkin

(1956). Some effects of thiamine deficiency and reduced caloric intake on “behaviour under stress” and on learning. Quart. J. exp. Psychol. 8, 54–65.

11.

Lang

E. P.

Nelson

A. A.

Fitzhugh

O. G.

Kunze

F. R.

(1950). Liver cell alteration and D.D.T. storage in the fat of the rat induced by dietary levels of 1–50 p.p.m. D.D.T. J. Pharmacol. 98, 268.

12.

Miller

N. E.

(1944). Experimental studies in conflict. Personality and Behaviour Disorders Hunt

J. Mc.V.

New York.

13.

Peters

R. A.

(1948). Pharmacological and biochemical lesions. Proc. R. Soc. Med. 41, 781–92.

14.

Philips

F. S.

Gilman

(1946). Studies on the pharmacology of D.D.T. (2,2-bis-parachlorophenyl)-1,1,1 trichloroethane). I. The acute toxicity of D.D.T. following intravenous injection in mammals with observations on the treatment of acute D.D.T. poisoning. J. Pharmacol. 86, 213–221.

15.

Rabixovitch

M. S.

Rosvold

H. E.

(1951). A closed field intelligence test for rats. Canad. J. Psychol. 5, 122–8.

16.

Rokder

K. D.

Weiant

E. A.

(1948). The effects of D.D.T. on sensory motor structures in the cockroach leg. J. cell. comp. Physiol. 32, 175–86.

17.

Roy

C. C.

(1954). Olfactory nerve potentials a direct measure of chemoreception in insects. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 58, 250–5.

18.

Russell

R. W.

(1952). Behaviour under stress. Int. J. Psycho-Anal. 34, 1–12(supplement).

19.

Russell

R. W.

(1954). Effects of reduced brain cholinesterase on behaviour. Bull. Brit. psycho!. Soc 23, (inset 6).

20.

Watson

R. H. J.

(1955). Some effects on behaviour of changes in cholinesterase level. Bull. Brit, psychol. Soc 27, (inset 7).

21.

Yeager

J. F.

Munson

S. C.

(1945). Physiological evidence of the site of action of D.D.T. in an insect. Science 102, 305–7.