What can specific behavioural testing procedures contribute to the assessment of neurotoxicity in laboratory animals?
Subchronic testing of laboratory animals in accordance with present regulatory guidelines involves maximum exposure with the chemical under investigation and serves for the evaluation of systemic toxicity as well as of lesions in organs and organ systems, including neurotoxicity. The primary assessment of neurotoxicity is essentially based on the overall observation of animal behaviour in the course of the customary toxicity studies and on the subsequent neuropathological evaluation with contemporary techniques. Under this maximum exposure the absence of symptoms and signs of neural abnormalities indicates that the material tested would be devoid of neurotoxicity. Any overt or suspicious symptoms for neurotoxicity appearing in the course of subchronic testing may be further characterized with additional functional tests such as neurological examination, electrodiagnostics and possibly with specific behavioural tests. The subsequent neuropathological investigation would have to be expan
