Comparative Assessment of Triadimefon, Chlorpromazine, Ddt and Carbaryl for Neurobehavioral and Motor Functions in Rat

Neurotoxic effects of a chemical or combination of chemicals can be observed at various levels of organization of the nervous system, including anatomical, physiological, macromolecular or behavioural. Neurobehavioral effects include adverse changes in somatic/autonomic, sensory, motor and/or cognitive function which can be reversible or irreversible. Observational and locomotor tests to assess the behavioural and neurologic integrity have been advanced for use in the primary screening of chemicals to detect neurotoxic potential. To evaluate the use of such an approach, a functional observational battery is currently being used for safety pharmacology testing near the end of the target validation stage of preclinical drug development and to identify potential neurotoxicity of new and existing chemicals. Neurobehavioral screening tests can serve as a first tier investigation of neurotoxicity. The present study was conducted to generate data regarding the use of motor function and neurobehavioral screening methods for assessment of reliability, sensitivity and robustness of the tests to detect neurotoxic potential of chemicals.