Abstract
Hungry rats were trained on a discrimination task in order to obtain food rewards. During each experimental session, discrete stimuli of 1 min duration were delivered through a small speaker in the experimental chamber at random intervals on the average of once every 2 min. Lever responses in the presence of a light and tone were correct and produced food rewards. Lever responses in the presence of the light stimulus were incorrect and were punished by total inactivation of the experimental chamber. Rats were selected for this experiment based on their inability to acquire the discrimination task even after six months of training. Administration of nicotine, lobeline, chlordiazepoxide and meprobamate produced an improvement in discrimination performance through a reduction of responses to incorrect stimuli. Caffeine and nicotine monomethiodide, the quaternary salt of nicotine, were without effect on the discrimination.
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Geller, I., Hartmann, R. & Blum, K. Effects of nicotine, nicotine monomethiodide, lobeline, chlordiazepoxide., meprobamate and caffeine on a discrimination task in laboratory rats. Psychopharmacologia 20, 355–365 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00403567
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00403567