Abstract
The behaviour of rats placed in a new environment was determined simultaneously by photocells and by direct observation. Predictably, a typical photocell activity cage did not measure a simple or homogeneous pattern of behaviour even in undrugged animals: two components of behaviour, the number of walks across the cage and of rears onto the hind feet, were correlated with photocell counts, but grooming was not. Even this agreement between observation and automation broke down if dexamphetamine was given; the correlation between rears and photocell counts was reduced by graded doses of dexamphetamine and by dexamphetamine-amylobarbitone mixtures, and the stimulant effect of dexamphetamine on walks was greatly exaggerated by the photocells. Such discrepancies were much smaller with amylobarbitone alone. For the testing of drugs, the use of activity cages seems to be more limited than has sometimes been supposed. Complex changes of behaviour are masked by the relatively crude photocell counts, but they may be detected by standardised observation. Watching the animals might also help with the development of improved automatic devices.
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Kršiak, M., Steinberg, H. & Stolerman, I.P. Uses and limitations of photocell activity cages for assessing effects of drugs. Psychopharmacologia 17, 258–274 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402085
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402085