Effects of chlordiazepoxide on maze performance of rats subjected to undernutrition in early life.

The purpose of this research was to study the isolated effects of and interactions between undernutrition and emotional reactivity upon maze performance in rats. This work compares the effects of chlordiazepoxide on learning performance in two groups of adult rats: one undernourished early in life and then rehabilitated, and the other normally nourished. Chlordiazepoxide was used at 5 mg/kg body weight administered i.p. 30 min before each test. The response was evaluated in a Hebb-Williams maze. Water was used as reinforcement. Chlordiazepoxide improved performance in the early undernourished group 197 +/- 55.9 errors to 149 +/- 33.6 (mean +/- SD). Chlordiazepoxide impaired performance of the normal group from 107 +/- 22.7 errors to 197 +/- 42.2 errors. Analysis of variance gave an F = 6.64, which is significant (P less than 0.01). This supports the hypothesis that the high emotional level of previously undernourished subjects acts negatively upon problem-solving performance.