IMPAIRED MAZE PERFORMANCE IN THE RAT CAUSED BY TRIMETHYLTIN TREATMENT - PROBLEM-SOLVING DEFICITS AND PERSEVERATION

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 4  (2) , 169-176
Abstract
Trimethyltin (TMT) produces cytological damage to several limbic-forebrain structures accompanied by behavioral changes including hyperactivity and aggressiveness. Whether the problem-solving capacity of the rat was affected by TMT treatment was studied. TMT ([CH3]3SnCl)7.0 mg/kg or 0.9% saline was injected by gavage into the gastric lumen of each rat. The treated and nontreated animals were divided into 2 groups of 9 each and tested subsequently on a series of Hebb-Williams maze problems. Compared to the controls, the Sn-treated rats made markedly more errors on all but 1 maze pattern. The rate of error reduction across problems over the 10 daily trials was significantly retarded in the lesioned animals. In addition to these severe problem-solving deficits, the TMT-treated rat often exhibited a characteristic pattern of perseverative behavior while running in the maze. The pattern was not unlike stereotypes associated with the psychomotor pathology observed following treatment with certain drugs. The results of the performance of the animal in the Hebb-Williams task provided a corollary with the child afflicted with minimal brain dysfunction (MBD) and a model for MBD was suggested.