Abstract
Bilateral removal of the olfactory bulbs was found to produce deficits in several components of the maternal behavior of lactating, primiparous female rats. More dead pups were found in the cages of bilaterally bulbectomized females shortly after parturition than in the cages of unilaterally bulbectomized, sham operated, or unoperated females. Futhermore, bilaterally bulbectomized females showed deficits in pup retrieval relative to females in the other surgical conditions, and pups reared by bilaterally bulbectomized females weighed less at weaning than pups reared by females in the other surgical conditions. In contrast to bilateral bulbecomy, zinc sulphate treatments had no influence on pup mortality at parturition. However, zinc sulphate treated females did exhibit deficits in pup retrieval relative to saline treated females.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 439-447 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Physiology and Behavior |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1975 |
Keywords
- Anosmia
- Maternal behavior
- Olfactory bulbs
- Zinc sulphate
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Neuroscience