Summary
The analgetic action of a series of analgesic and psychotropic agents was tested in a situation in which variable intensities of electric shock to a rat's feet were used to elicit two distinguishable reflexive responses: a “flinching” response at low shock values, and a “jumping” response at higher shock values,
By using a modified method of limits, reliable threshold for the two responses were obtained.
Chlorpromazine, perphenazine, morphine, codeine, nalorphine and acetylsalicylate were found to raise the threshold to “jump”, but had little or no effect on the threshold to “flinch”.
PIH, JB 835, iproniazid, reserpine, tetrabenazine, and amphetamine were found to have no effect on either the “jump” or the “flinch” thresholds.
A combination of amphetamine and codeine was found to produce a synergistic potentiation. A combination of morphine and nalorphine was found to produce an antagonism.
The results were discussed in terms of Beecher's hypothesis that the analgetic action of drugs is due to a diminution of the emotional components of an animal's reaction to pain and in terms of the relationship of brain amine change to analgetic action.
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Evans, W.O. A new technique for the investigation of some analgesic drugs on a reflexive behavior in the rat. Psychopharmacologia 2, 318–325 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404119
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404119