Abstract
Difficulty has been noted in learning (maze performance, etc.) in adult rats who have had neonatal asphyxia. Growth & develop, changes have also been cited. This study planned to detect learning problems in asphx RS by an active avoidance operant test. 25 sex-specific asphx RS (subjected to 4 days of asphyxia at 24 hrs. apart) & 30 controls were studied. All were then trained to avoid a .6m Amp foot pad shock in a V-trough chamber with light stimulus. The # of trials needed to avoid being shocked 9 out of 10 times was then calculated & compared. Retention testing was done at 24 hr. & 1 wk. post training.
Results: 1) no signif. diff. was noted between the mean # of trials of all asphx & controls (N=55). 2) females needed fewer trials up to 21 days of life (13.9±4.7) compared to males (16.1±4.0) P<.1, a NS diff. 3) on A retention test, there was NS diff. between asphx, controls & naive controls. Passive avoidance or other models need to be explored as valid instruments for asphx NB rats.
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Ferrara, A., Atakent, Y., Quartermain, D. et al. 258 THE VALIDITY OF ACTIVE AVOIDANCE OPERANT LEARNING RETENTION TESTING IN DETECTING ASPHYCTIC (ASPHX) EFFECTS IN RAT SUCKLINGS (RS). Pediatr Res 19, 153 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00288
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00288