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Journal of Pharmacology And Experimental Therapeutics, Vol. 115, Issue 4, 380-399, 1955
Copyright © 1955 by American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

STUDIES ON BEHAVIOR. II. THE EFFECTS OF PENTOBARBITAL, METHAMPHETAMINE AND SCOPOLAMINE ON PERFORMANCES IN PIGEONS INVOLVING DISCRIMINATIONS

Peter B. Dews 1

1 Department of Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Pigeons were rewarded with occasional access to food for 4-5 seconds for pecking a translucent plastic disc when certain environmental stimuli were present, but were never rewarded when other environmental stimuli were present. They came to peck at a steady rate of the order of 60/min. when the stimuli appropriate to rewards were present but at a rate of only about 1/min. or less when the stimuli appropriate to no rewards were present.

When the stimulus appropriate to rewards was a red light behind the translucent disc and the stimulus appropriate to no rewards was a blue light, then this differential performance was not disrupted by pentobarbital, methamphetamine or scopolamine, although as the dosage of any of the drugs was increased, pecking in the presence of the red light was progressively reduced.

When the stimuli appropriate to rewards were a red light, a blue light plus a differently located white light (the house light) or a yellow light plus the house light, and the stimuli appropriate to no rewards were a blue light alone, or a red or white light plus the house light, then the differential performance between the sets of stimuli was reduced by pentobarbital and methamphetamine, but not by scopolamine.

Preliminary analysis of the differences between the schedules determining this differential sensitivity to drugs is presented.

Submitted on June 27, 1955




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