A new device for monitoring early motor development: prenatal nicotine-induced changes.
A new type of activity meter has been designed especially for young rats. It consists of a warmed platform for the animal, a TV camera with monitor and a microprocessor. The TV camera detects the animal as a black figure on a light background. This picture is digitalized and stored in a Z80 microprocessor. Every 200 msec a new image is compared to the foregoing one. The total number of black points that are changing from black to white and vice versa provides a measure for motor activity of the animal. Prenatally nicotine-treated rat pups were tested on the activity meter. The developmental pattern of motor activity was different for male and female pups. Motor activity of nicotine-treated male pups differed significantly from controls at postnatal days 7 and 15 while this drug effect was not seen in females.
Schlumpf
M
M
Institute of Pharmacology, University of Zürich, Switzerland.
Gähwiler
M
M
Ribary
U
U
Lichtensteiger
W
W
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005260:Female; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008838:Microcomputers; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014741:Video Recording / Q000295:instrumentation*
D009538:Nicotine