Formation of lateralized motor skills in rats

Adult Wistar rats were trained to get food with a forepaw from a narrow tube under conditions of free choice of a limb. It was shown that the presence or absence of limb preference determined by preliminary short-run testing far from always defines the character and extent of lateralization formed in the process of training. It was also found that reaching the maximal extent of lateralization requires, on average, more extended period of training for the animals, which finally constituted the group of right-handers, than for the rats finally classified as left-handers.