THE IPCS COLLABORATIVE STUDY ON NEUROBEHAVIORAL SCREENING METHODS - II - PROTOCOL DESIGN AND TESTING PROCEDURES

This paper describes the development of the protocol for the Internati onal Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS)-sponsored Collaborative Study on Neurobehavioral Screening Methods, including background on the met hods and chemicals selected, as well as details concerning the conduct of the collaborative study, including proficiency testing, rangefindi ng and main study. Participating laboratories in the collaborative stu dy received training in the conduct and scoring of the behavioral test s and each laboratory received a Video training film to train addition al personnel as needed. Each of the eight laboratories that chose to p articipate in the study completed proficiency testing and assessed sev en representative chemicals using a functional observational battery a nd automated motor activity assessment. The seven chemicals studied we re acrylamide, bis-acrylamide, p,p'-DDT, lead acetate, parathion, tolu ene, and triethyl tin. Participants received coded samples of the chem icals from a common source. Each laboratory derived doses for single a nd repealed administration based on the determination of a within-labo ratory acute ''top dose.'' Animal strains were not standardized and la boratory conditions were standardized to a limited degree in order to judge the general utility and robustness of these procedures in a dive rsity of testing situations. (C) 1997 Intox Press, Inc.