COMPENSATION OF A SENSORY DEFICIT INFLICTED UPON NEWBORN AND ADULT ANIMALS - A BEHAVIORAL-STUDY

SOMATOSENSORY deprivation (bilateral vibrissa clipping) was performed on newborn (P1) and adult (P80) rats and, on 10 successive days starti ng on day 81, the effect of sensory deprivation was tested in a rectan gular maze versus controls. The maze performance (the time to reach th e goal-box with food reward) of the P80 animals was significantly poor er than that of P1 animals. The tests repeatedly demonstrated, however , that the maze performance achieved by the P1 animals was better than that of the controls. This behavioural study clearly revealed that ea rly sensory deprivation induced (probably cross-modal) compensatory ch anges in other sensory systems.