Studies on the Nutritional Basis of Abnormal Behavior in Albino Rats

The rat has been observed to exhibit a behavior pattern characterized by violent convulsive seizures when exposed to intense auditory stimulation. Such seizures were first observed by Maier (22) when rats were forced to respond to a difficult problem. “Conflict” imposed by forced reaction in a situation involving an insolvable problem was at first thought to be a necessary determinant of the abnormal behavior (23). Subsequent studies (1,28,31), however, demonstrated clearly that auditory stimulation alone was an effective means of eliciting such convulsions and, in addition (29), that the existence of a problem was not of basic importance for the appearance of the seizures. In previous studies in our laboratories, Patton, Karn, and King (32-34) obtained evidence that nutritional factors play an important role in the susceptibility of the rat to convulsive seizures induced by exposure to sound. Furthermore, inanition, vitamin B1, and vitamin B complex deficiencies were found to be contributing factors to increased sensitivity. A significant finding of one of these studies (34) was the fact that such convulsions, associated with low food intake and persisting despite high vitamin B1 supplements, could be quickly reduced by the addition of a group of vitamin and mineral supplements. Reduction in sensitivity occurred even with a low caloric intake. Thus, there was the indication that protection was afforded either by the supplements per se, or that they permitted a more efficient utilization of food substances already present in the reduced food allowance. A continuation of the work has entailed the investigation of the specific or combined functions of individual components of the vitamin B complex. In the present experiments the effects of pyridoxine deficiency have been studied.