[Neurobehavioral toxicology].

The various experimental approaches to detect and characterize neurotoxic chemicals, i.e. pathomorphology, electrophysiology, neurobiochemistry and ethology, are discussed. In recent years neurobehavioral techniques have been used widely in toxicology because of their non-invasiveness and considerable discriminative power. Advantages and disadvantages of neurobehavioral techniques are discussed. Two approaches, namely development of animal models that imitate human neurobehavioral disorders and diseases, and measurement of basic elements of behavior are presented. Examples are given to demonstrate how modern computerized behavioral techniques are able to assess various basic elements of behavior. Through microanalysis of the data detailed information on behavioral effects of various neurotoxins can be obtained. These concepts are demonstrated with experiments using ethanol, caffeine and methylmercury as reference substances. Many more chemical substances must be tested with these techniques to obtain the necessary information for predictive conclusions for humans.