Dev Psychobiol 2003 Jul 01;431:28-36. doi: 10.1002/dev.10119.

Effects of perinatal visual stimulation on preference, growth, and mortality in African clawed frogs (Xenopus Laevis).

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Two exploratory experiments examined the effects of flashing light stimulation on growth, mortality, and behavioral preferences of Xenopus laevis tadpoles. Experiment 1 showed that tadpoles exposed to continuous visual stimulation, from egg-laying through postnatal day 40, had significantly higher mortality rates and weighed significantly less than controls. In contrast to controls, experimental tadpoles showed a preference for visual stimulation throughout early development. Results support the notion that augmented visual stimulation during early development affects species-typical development and the creation of postnatal preferences. Experiment 2 exposed subjects to propranolol in their water to investigate a potential sympathetic nervous system (SNS) mechanism responsible for the previous results. Tadpoles exposed to propranolol and visual stimulation simultaneously did not show a preference for the visual stimulation. Although this preliminary finding suggests SNS involvement, this notion deserves further investigation.

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