title: Effects of prenatal exposure to a 50-Hz magnetic field on one-trial passive avoidance learning in 1-day-old chicks.
abstract: We investigated memory impairment in newly hatched chicks following in ovo exposure to a 50-Hz magnetic field (MF) of 2 mT (60 min/day) on embryonic days 12-18. Isolated and paired chicks were used to test the effect of stress during training, and memory retention was tested at 10, 30, and 120 min, following exposure to a bitter-tasting bead (100% methylanthranilate). Results showed that memory was intact at 10 min in both isolated and paired chicks with or without MF exposure. However, while isolated chicks had good memory retention levels at 30 and 120 min, those exposed to MF did not. The results suggest a potential disruption of memory formation following in ovo exposure to MF, with this effect only evident in the more stressed, isolated chicks.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Primate Neuroscience Research, Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, #32 Jiao Chang Dong Lu, Kunming, Yunnan, PR China.
authors.forename: Huaying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Che
authors.forename: Xiaofen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dongming
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yingda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Yuanye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D002645:Chickens; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D011897:Random Allocation; D012934:Social Isolation; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D062367:ortho-Aminobenzoates / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D062367:ortho-Aminobenzoates; C038892:methyl anthranilate