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Amphetamine effects on poor performance of rats in a shuttle-box

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Summary

In rats which showed consistently low rates of avoidance in the shuttle-box, in spite of extensive training, d-amphetamine caused a significant increase in performance. l-Amphetamine also stimulated these rats (type II poor performers) to better performance, but was much less potent.

In other rats (type I poor performers), acquisition of avoidance responding improved gradually over the first 3–5 sessions in a manner similar to that observed for good performers. However, avoidance responding deteriorated for the type I rats during the later training sessions. These subjects were not improved by d-amphetamine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, N.H.

    Richard H. Rech

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  1. Richard H. Rech
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Additional information

This investigation was supported in part by USPHS Grants NB 03968 and MH 10099, and by a grant from Smith Kline and French Laboratories.

I wish to thank Mrs. Andrea Horwich for technical assistance.

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Rech, R.H. Amphetamine effects on poor performance of rats in a shuttle-box. Psychopharmacologia 9, 110–117 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404716

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404716

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