Conditioning and Retention under Hypnotic Doses of Nembutal

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Abstract
The buzz-shock conditioning method was used on 6 mongrel dogs. The conditioned stimulus was a pure tone, 1000 cycles, presented for 2 sec., and overlapped at the last .2 sec. of its occurrence by a make-break DC shock applied to the right hind foot. Graphic records of movements of all 4 feet, of respiration, of the buzz, the shock, and the time were made. Training was in groups of 100 trials, with a rest period after every 20 trials. 4 such blocks of 100 trials were given each animal, half with and half without the drug. The results showed that: (1) conditioning is present but is less efficient under the drug; (2) the learning curve, computed from both frequency and amplitude of the CR, was sigmoid; (3) the latency of the CR was greater under the drug than under the normal state; (4) the duration of the CR tended to be shorter under the drug; (5) retention of a CR acquired under nembutal could be demonstrated later in the normal state; (6) a CR acquired in the normal state did not appear in the drug condition. The data are considered from a theoretical point of view.

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