[Features of higher nervous activity in mice with Robertsonian chromosomal translocations]

The ability of laboratory mice to learn to solve a simple food searching task, and their ability to extrapolate the direction of stimulus movement, were investigated in animals of CBA inbred strain (64 mice) and in mice with Robertsonian fusion of 8 and 17 chromosomes -- Rb (8, 17) 1 IEM possessing different genetic background (122 mice). As the ability for extrapolation is tested while the animal has no previous experience of such task solving, this form of behaviour seems to be different from conditioning. Mice with Rb (8, 17) 1 IEM but not CBA mice proved to be capable to solve the extrapolatory task at its first presentation. Their learning ability was found to be also superior to that of CBA mice. The present data proved that mice with Rb (8, 17) 1 IEM translocation may serve as a very promising model for investigation of complex behaviour patterns.