Automatically determined effects of lithium, scopolamine and methamphetamine on motor activity of rats

A device is described in which spontaneous motor activity of animals can be measured quantitatively in a capacitance field. By using multilevel detection in a homogeneous field the motions of the animals can be categorised according to their amplitudes and irrespective of the position of the animal in the cage. The effects of lithium ions, methamphetamine and scopolamine were assessed and compared with data in the literature.