Features of the behavioral reactions of rats during exposure to constant electrical fields of varied intensities.

The dynamics of the spontaneous orienting-motoric activity and the character of the formation and of the extinction of conditioned reflex reactions during food and painful reinforcement in rats following exposure to a constant electrical field (CEF) with an intensity of from 30 to 160 kV/m were studied. It was established that as the result of the exposure to a CEF of relatively low intensity, orienting activity intensifies, and the formation and the extinction of the conditioned avoidance reaction slow down. In the presence of the effect of a CEF of medium intensity, an increase in activity in the vertical plane correlates with the rapid formation of the defense reflex and the prolonged maintenance of the conditioned reactions developed. In the presence of a high-intensity field the number of both horizontal and vertical locomotions decreases due to an increase in the proportion of static elements and grooming. The rate of formation of the conditioned reflexes with food and painful reinforcement slows sharply.