Taste aversions conditioned with partial body radiation exposures

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Physiol. Behav.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(81)90060-3· OSTI ID:5528661

Smith, J C; Hollander, G R; Spector, A C ^[1]

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1. Florida State Univ., Tallahassee (USA). Dept. of Psychology

Radiation-induced taste aversion was compared in rats which received partial body exposure to the head or abdomen with rats receiving whole body irradiation. Exposure levels ranged from 25 to 300 roentgens (R). In additional groups, saccharin aversion to partial body gamma ray exposures of the abdomen were conditioned in animals which had prior experience with the saccharin solution. Aversion was measured with a single-bottle short-term test, a 23-hour preference test and by the number of days taken to recover from the aversion. Whole-body exposure was most effective in conditioning the aversion, and exposure of the abdominal area was more effective than exposure to the head. Also, the higher the exposure, the stronger the aversion. Rats receiving prior experience with the saccharin did not condition as well as control rats with no prior saccharin experience. The possible role of radiation-induced taste aversion in human radiotherapy patients was discussed.

• OSTI ID: 5528661
• Journal Information: Physiol. Behav.; (United States), Journal Name: Physiol. Behav.; (United States) Vol. 27:5; ISSN PHBHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550100 -- Behavioral Biology
560152* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Animals
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AVOIDANCE
AZOLES
BEHAVIOR
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CONDITIONED REFLEXES
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
GAMMA RADIATION
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
INGESTION
INTAKE
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
LEARNING
MAMMALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PARTIAL BODY IRRADIATION
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RATS
REFLEXES
RODENTS
SACCHARIN
THIAZOLES
VERTEBRATES
WHOLE-BODY IRRADIATION