Perinatal administration of PCP alters adult behaviour in female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Perinatal phencyclidine (PCP) treatment leads to neuronal damage and causes long-term behavioural alterations in rodents. This study examined the effects of perinatal PCP treatment on behaviour of adult rats in holeboard, elevated plus maze, social interaction and forced swim tests. PCP-treated rats displayed hyperactivity in the holeboard and forced swim tests. These persistent behavioural changes are relevant to the study of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.