Psychiatric illness due to manganese poisoning.

Rats were exposed to manganese (1 mg/ml through drinking water) daily to study behavioral and neurochemical changes 14 and 30 days after the treatment. Manganese produced hyperactivation after 14 and 30 days with greater magnitude of alteration at the latter period. Reduction in the percentage of conditional avoidance response and increase in fighting score were also observed after 30 days. These behavioral changes were associated with increased levels of striatal dopamine and norepinephrine in rats exposed to manganese. Thus, it was indicated that increased turnover of striatal catecholamines was responsible for producing behavioral changes in early manganese intoxication.