Behavioral Toxicology in Risk Assessment: Problems and Research Needs

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Abstract
Behavioral methods are being used with increasing frequency in toxicology to assess the deleterious effects of chemicals to which we are exposed. The impetus for the use of behavioral techniques in risk assessment resulted from the presumption that they were more sensitive than other tests in detecting toxicity. A more logical reason for the use of behavioral tests is the fact that behavior is the functional indicator of the net sensory, motor, and integrative processes occurring in the central and peripheral nervous system. Thus, the functional capacity of the nervous system cannot be determined independent of behavioral analysis. Some of the problems confronting behavioral toxicology are (1) the translation of human subjective complaints into behavioral tests in animals; (2) determining subtle effects on the nervous system in the face of the well-known functional reserve and adaptability of the system; (3) dealing with the variety of statistical problems resulting from the use of multiple tests, multiple measurements using the same test and the (relatively) large variability inherent in some behavioral phenomena; and (4) selecting the proper tests. Three critical research needs in behavioral toxicology as they relate to risk assessment are (1) development and validation of methods, (2) determining subpopulations at greatest risk, and (3) developing a strategy for determining interactions between two or more agents.