Open-field and Lashley III maze behaviour of the offspring of amphetamine-treated rats.

Albino rats of our colony were administered 0.5 mg/kg of d,l-amphetamine sulphate or saline once daily throughout gestation beginning on day 1 of pregnancy. After delivery no other treatment was received by offspring. When adults, the pups of amphetamine-treated mothers had a higher motor activity in the open-field test measured as locomotion and rearing. In the Lashley III maze the treated group made more errors than controls in the first 4 days. After day 4 there seems to be habituation because no difference was observed in either the number of errors or the running time between the groups. These results are discussed in terms of brain catecholamines metabolism.