Learning ability of young rats is unaffected by repeated exposure to a static electromagnetic field in early life

Abstract

Infant albino rats were exposed to a static electromagnetic field of 0.0 Tesla (control) or 0.5 Tesla (experimental) for 14 postnatal days. Following a 1‐month rest period, the experimental (13 males and 10 females) and control (11 males and 14 females) rats were trained on four successive reversals of a position habit in a single‐unit enclosed T‐maze that was adapted for the use of escape‐avoidance of mild foot shock as a motive. There was no significant difference in learning ability between the experimental and control groups in terms of total (initial combined with repetitive) errors committed over the four reversal problems. While the females tended to make more errors than the males, this difference was likewise insignificant. Copyright © 1988 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA