RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 EFFECTS OF CHLORPROMAZINE, MEPROBAMATE, PENTOBARBITAL AND MORPHINE ON SELF-STIMULATION
JF Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
JO J Pharmacol Exp Ther
FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
SP 397
OP 404
VO 128
IS 4
A1 J. Olds
A1 R. P. Travis
YR 1960
UL http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/128/4/397.abstract
AB The effects of four compounds on self-stimulation behavior were tested as a function of electrode placement and as a function of dosage. Self-stimulation is approach behavior sustained only by the positive reinforcement of an electric shock delivered to any one of many points in the hypothalamic-paleocortical system of the brain. As escape response motivated by electric stimulation in the tegmentum was used to control for general inhibitory effects. In studying drug effects on self-stimulation as a function of electrode placement, chlorpromazine, morphine, and meprobamate all had larger inhibitory effects on animals with septal electrodes than on those with tegmental ones. Conversely, morphine and meprobamate had far more tendency to augment self-stimulation via tegmental electrodes than via septal ones. Animals with hypothalamic electrodes were generally inhibited by chlorpromazine and morphine; but meprobamate and pentobarbital augmented some, inhibited others. To interpret these data, account is taken of the fact that electric stimulation in the tegmentum, even though it may cause self-stimulation, often causes at the same time a great tendency to escape. Meprobamate is thought to augment self-stimulation in these areas by quelling the escape tendencies, without causing major effects on the positive reinforcement. Chlorpromazine never causes augmentation; and this is probably because it acts at least equally on the two motivational tendencies. The dose-response data show that chlorpromazine and morphine inhibit self-stimulation in doses that do not disorganize behavior generally. Meprobamate and pentobarbital fail to antagonize self-stimulation even in doses that have devastating effects on other behaviors. These data suggest that chlorpromazine may have some of its efficiency by attenuating drives for positive reinforcements.