The effects of dieldrin and chlordimeform on learning and memory in the cockroach, Periplaneta americana: a study in behavioral toxicology

A one-session T-maze training procedure for cockroaches in which animals were trained to turn right or left to avoid a shock was utilized to investigate the effects of dieldrin and chlordimeform (two neurotoxic pesticides) on learning and memory. These animals were trained and then tested for retention 5 h later. Three behavioral measures were recorded: choice behavior or direction turned, the time taken to proceed down the runway (runway time), and the time taken to proceed from the runway to either choice arm (choice point time). In control animals the number of correct choices, the runway time, and the choice point time increased with succeeding trials during training. Furthermore, control animals showed retention of correct choice behavior from training to testing. A nontoxic dose (no overt behavioral signs) of dieldrin was injected 2 h before training or 15 min after training. Pretraining injections of dieldrin eliminated correct-choice learning but did not alter the increase with training in runway or choice point times. Posttraining dieldrin administration did not interfere with retention of correct-choice behavior upon testing. These findings indicate that dieldrin induces behavioral alterations in a low acute dose and that detrimental effects are more likely with more complex behavior. Furthermore, behavioral disruption is more likely the closer exposure is to the initial learning of a task. Nontoxic doses of chlordimeform injected 1 h before training eliminated correct-choice learning and facilitated an increase in runway times during training.