Effects of alkali metal chlorides on activity levels of rats in a passive exploration test.

Rats treated with alkali metal chlorides (2 mmol/kg, injected intraperitoneally) were tested for exploratory behaviour in a situation where exploration was indicated by reduced ambulatory activity. Lithium chloride significantly reduced exploration and increased ambulation as compared to sodium chloride treated control rats. Whilst rubidium chloride had similar effects to those produced by the lithium salt, these failed to reach statistical significance. The findings are discussed in the light of two hypotheses, namely that lithium attenuates the central processing of sensory information, and that rubidium acts as a nonspecific stimulant of activity.