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The effects of centrally and peripherally acting cholinergic drugs on the short-term performance gradient following passive-avoidance training

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Abstract

Rats, injected with physostigmine salicylate, neostigmine methylsulfate, atropine sulfate, atropine methylate, or saline, were trained in a passiveavoidance platform procedure and were tested 5, 15, or 120 sec later. In the salinetreated groups step-down latencies increased between the 5-second and 15-second intervals and stabilized between the 15-second and 120-second intervals. Relative to saline controls, the drugs had the following effects: physostigmine decreased test latencies at the 15- and 120-second intervals; atropine sulfate and methylate increased test latencies at the 5-second interval; neostigmine did not modify test latencies at any of the 3 intervals.

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This research was supported by National Science Foundation Grant NSF-GB-7278 to Allen M. Schneider, Principal Investigator.

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Schneider, A.M., Kapp, B.S. & Sherman, W.M. The effects of centrally and peripherally acting cholinergic drugs on the short-term performance gradient following passive-avoidance training. Psychopharmacologia 18, 77–81 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402386

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402386

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