THE OPEN-FIELD TEST AS A PREDICTIVE CRITE RION OF RESISTANCE TO EMOTIONAL-STRESS IN WISTAR RATS

The open field test was studied as a predictive behavioural criterion of resistance to emotional stress. Emotional stress mas induced in Wis tar rats by Immobilization with simultaneous electrical skin stimulati on 3 days after behavioural testing. Severity of stress was evaluated by the rate of survival and changes in the weight of thymus and adrena ls. Rats which displayed longer latencies of the first movement in the open field and of crossing the central areas, lower locomotor and exp loratory activity, higher rate of defecation had lower survival rate a nd more pronounced adrenal hypertrophy in stress.