A COMPARISON OF THE BRAIN WEIGHTS OF NORMAL, UNTREATED HYDROCEPHALIC AND TREATED HYDROCEPHALIC RAT PUPS

The dry brain weights of normal, untreated and treated hydrocephalic p ups of Texas, Lewis and Texas/Lewis cross rats aged from 2 to 60 days were compared using the techniques of generalised linear modelling. It was found that with increasing age there is a steadily progressive in crease in the weight of the brains of the normal animals. The brains o f the untreated hydrocephalics showed a normal increase in weight up t o about the 25th day but after that whilst the weight continued to inc rease, it was significantly less than normal. On the other hand the we ight gain of the brains of the treated hydrocephalic pups resembled th at of the normals and steadily increase in weight throughout the perio d of observation.