Introduction to principles and procedures in behavioral testing

This article serves as an introduction to the following two articles which describe the effects of drugs that interact with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors on a number of behavioral baselines. The discussion in the subsequent articles focuses on detailed examination of performance on complex learning tasks, although effects of drugs affecting NMDA receptors on simple learned and unlearned behaviors are also mentioned. This article will provide a framework for interpretation of the results reported. To that end, a short primer on the principles of behavior is provided, followed by a description of a number of behavioral tests and discussion of issues important for the interpretation of results from such tests. The behavioral baselines discussed are, for the most part, the specific tasks from which data are presented in the following reports. A few additional descriptions have been included to illustrate specific points regarding data interpretation. The examples discussed are not necessarily representative of behavioral endpoints used routinely in the assessment of the behavioral effects of drugs. A number of reviews are available to the interested reader (Cabe & Eckerman 1982; Heise 1984; Rice 1990; Thompson & Shuster 1968; World Health Organization 1986).