The present study examines the mechanism of neurotoxic action of a synthetic pyrethroid formulation deltamethrin in young rats. Newly weaned Wistar Albino male rats received deltamethrin of technical grade at a dose of 7.0 mg/kg body weight/day in corn oil, orally from postnatal day 22 to postnatal day 37. Deltamethrin significantly decreased the wet weight of the hippocampus without much affecting the weight of cerebellum, pons medulla, hypothalamus, frontal cortex and corpus striatum in comparison to respective controls. A significant increase in the activities of mitochondrial monoamine oxidase and microsomal acetylcholinesterase without any effect on microsomal Na+, K(+)-ATPase activity was observed in the brain of experimental animals. Our results further indicate that deltamethrin markedly impaired learning function and significantly increased the spontaneous locomotor activity while aggressive behaviour remained unaffected. An overall enhancement of polyamine levels in hypothalamus and corpus striatum accompanied with an overall decline in pon medulla and cerebellum was also noted. Maximum decrease of spermine and spermidine was registered in hippocampus, while these polyamines showed an increase in frontal cortex. In striatal membranes the binding of 3H-spiperone decreased and 3H-quinuclidinyl benzilate was elevated significantly. Deltamethrin-induced deviations in regional brain polyamine levels may be a possible cause for altered pathophysiology of the neurone.