Behavioral teratology

Buelke-Sam, J., Kimmel, C.A. and Adams, J. (1985). Design considerations in screening for behavioral teratogens Results of the collaborative behavioral teratology study. Neurobehav. Toxicol. Teratol. 7 537-789. 

Burkhalter JE, Balster RL. 1979. Behavioral teratology evaluation of trichloromethane in mice. Neurobehav Toxicol 1 199-205. 

Grant LD (1976) Research strategies for behavioral teratology studies. Environ Health Perspect, 18 85-94. 

Activity and exploration are also frequently measured in behavioral teratological research. Many different test situations can be chosen, e.g. small or large open fields, 8-maze, holeboard, activity cages, activity wheels, etc.. Although the behavior measured in different tests is indicated by the same terms, it should not be expected that activity in one situation is affected in other test situations in exactly the same way. Each test is likely to elicit slightly different aspects of activity and/or explorative behavior. 

There are a number of theoretical and practical factors that have to be taken into account in behavioral teratology. A complete overview can be found in literature (refs. 62, 109, 167-169). In this section only some of the most important problems are discussed. 

A complete behavioral teratology battery should include the folloving types of tests ... 

L.W. Chang and Z. Annau, Developmental neuropathology and behavioral teratology of methylmercury, in J. Yanai (Ed.), Neurobehavioral Teratology, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1984, pp. 405-432. 

G.J. Boer and D.F. Swaab, Neuropeptide effects on brain development to be expected from behavioral teratology, Peptides, 6 (Suppl. 2) (1985) 21-28. 

S.V. Vorhees, Behavioral effects of prenatal methylmercury in rats A parallel trial to the Collaborative Behavioral Teratology Study, Neurobeh. Toxicol. Teratol., 7(6) (1985) 717-725. 

R.E. Butcher and C.J. Nelson, Design and analysis issues in behavioral teratology testing, Neurobehav. Toxicol. Teratol. 7(6) (1985) 659. 

C.A. Kimmel and J. Buelke-Sam, Collaborative Behavioral Teratology Study ... 

Collaborative Behavioral Teratology Study Preliminary Research,... 

Fried, P. A. (2002). Conceptual issues in behavioral teratology and their application in determining long-term sequelae of prenatal marihuana exposure.. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 43, 81-102. 

Adams J (1986) Methods in behavioral teratology. In Riley EP Vorhees CV eds. Handbook of behavioral teratology. New York, Plenum Press, pp 67-97. 

There are also issues related to statistical analyses of the data that are unique to behavioral teratology. The offspring of a given litter are not considered as individual subjects since, as members of a litter, they have all experienced factors of the fetal environment which may be unique to their dam. This means that the total number of subjects in a treatment group is really equivalent to the total number of litters represented in that group, a factor which can change the degrees of freedom in the statistical analyses. 

Each of these components of behavior can be combined into an increasingly complex set of testing paradigms and, as such, then can be used to evaluate a distinct potential toxic event. An example of this is behavioral teratology. 

Behavioral teratology is defined as a separate component of behavioral toxicology primarily in its focus on behavioral modifications resulting from toxic exposures during early development. In general, such studies track the outcome of such exposures over the postnatal and possibly into the juvenile and early adult stages of the life cycle. Outcome measures almost invariably include the development of physical... 

Newland, MC Auburn University at Auburn Auburn, AL Behavioral teratology of methylmercury. NIEHS... 

Buelke-Sam J, Kimmel CA, Adams, et al. 1985. Collaborative behavioral teratology study Results. Neurobehav Toxicol Teratol 7 591-624. 

O Donohue TL. Ethoxyethanol behavioral teratology in rats. Neurotoxicology 1981 2 231-49. 

Kimmel CA (1988) Current status of behavioral teratology science and regulation. Crit Rev Toxicol 19 1-10... 

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