The effect of electroconvulsive shock on fixated behavior of the rat: I. The effect of a ten-and of a twenty-five-day series of ECS on the stability of the fixated response.

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Abstract
To determine the effect of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) on fixated jumping behavior of the rat, animals were trained, frustated, and given a 20-day solvable problem discrimination test for the stability of their responses. They were then divided into shock and rest groups. The shock animals in the 1st study were given a 10-day series of ECS and in the 2d study a 25-day series of ECS, control animals rested the respective number of days. All rats were then given a 20-day retest. Neither the 10-day series nor the 25-day series of ECS was effective in causing the rats to abandon their fixations and learn the solvable problem. However, the 25-day series of ECS caused an increase in the latencies of discriminative jumping responses during the 1st two postshock days'' trials, also some variability of the fixated responses.