Sex and increasing age as factors in the frequency of audiogenic seizures in albino rats.

Abstract

38 [male] and 38 [female] rats were subjected to air-blasts for 5 min. per day, 5 days per week, from 21 days to 240 days of age. Similarly, 33 [male][male] and 34 [female][female] were subjected to this situation from 21 days to 120 days. In the early period of testing the [male][male] responded with seizures relatively more often than the [female][female] beyond about 55 days of age, the [female][female] responded more frequently. A steady drop in relative frequency of seizures from about 30 days of age until 240 days was observed, and this drop is attributed by the authors at least in part to "some change in the organism related to advancing age rather than to adaptation.1.