Normal rat pups and pups with septallesions produced at 7 days of age were reared after weaning under group and isolated housing conditions. Contact time between pairs of animals in the open fieldwas observed at 90·110days of age. Gregariousness was increased by both septaliesion treatment and isolated rearing conditions. The housing condition variable accounted for a greater proportion of treatment variance than did the lesion variable. These results stress the importance of housing conditions as a confounding variable in studies of recovery from infant brain damage.Jonason and Enloe (1971) reported a dramatic increase in open-field gregariousness of the rat following lesions of the septal forebrain. Johnson's (1972) studies indicated that the enhancement of gregariousness effect can be observed regardless of the age at the time the lesion was produced. Meyer, Ruth, and Lavond (1978) demonstrated that the impact of septal lesions on social contact in the rat is potent and lasting, A body of evidence has been produced primarily by Latane and his colleagues (Latane, Nesbitt, Ekman, & Roden, 1972) that isolated vs. social housing conditions is also a potent variable in the openfield gregariousness of rats. The Latane studies indicate that adult rats housed in isolation are more gregarious in the open field than are animals reared in group cages.In the Johnson (1972) experiment, following septal lesions, animals were housed individually from 45 days of age until open-field observations on adult animals were completed. It is possible that the isolated housing conditions might have confounded the data relevant to the lesion variable in that study. In order to more clearly view potential recovery of function following septal lesions, we need more Information on how septal lesions in infancy and housing conditions during development interact.The current study was designed to evaluate the interaction of housing conditions during development and septal lesions in infancy. METHonDellln, SubJeetl, .nd Rou1lnlEach litter was culled to eight male pups at 5 days of age. At 7 days of age, 48 pairs of animals were assigned to four groups (12 The authors' mailing address is:
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