Odor detection performance in hypothyroid and euthyroid rats.
The influence of hypothyroidism on the odor detection ability of male Long-Evans rats was determined using high-precision olfactometry and a go/no-go operant task. Nonparametric signal detection measures of sensitivity and responsitivity, as well as measures of S+ response latency, the number of aborted trials, and session time were obtained in daily 200-trial test sessions prior to, during, and after 50 days of maintenance on 0.1% propylthiouracil (PTU). Similar determinations were made in control animals. Neither odor detection nor associated nonsensory performance measures were influenced by hypothyroidism. These results suggest that PTU-induced hypothyroidism does not affect the odor detection performance of rats.
Brosvic
G M
GM
Department of Psychology, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, USA. Brosvic@Enigma.Rider.edu
Risser
J M
JM
Mackay-Sim
A
A
Doty
R L
RL
D000818:Animals; D013956:Antithyroid Agents; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology*; D011441:Propylthiouracil; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000502:physiology*
D013956:Antithyroid Agents; D011441:Propylthiouracil