Detour learning in the chick: Effect of reserpine administered during embryonic development

Chicks hatched from eggs injected with reserpine prior to incubation showed impaired performance in detour learning between 7 and 17 days of age, although locomotor activity and brainstem catecholamine levels were not significantly different from controls at 18 days. Day-old chicks injected with the same amount of drug showed no significant depletion of brainstem catecholamines 7 days later, supporting the possibility that behavioral effects were due to exposure to the drug during embryogenesis.