CONFLICT BEHAVIOR IN SQUIRREL-MONKEY - EFFECTS OF CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE, DIAZEPAM AND N-DESMETHYLDIAZEPAM

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  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 204  (1) , 88-102
Abstract
Dose-response profiles were determined for chlordiazepoxide, diazepam and N-desmethyldiazepam in a squirrel monkey punishment (conflict) procedure. The monkeys were trained to lever press under a food-maintained concurrent schedule consisting of an unpunished 6-min variable interval (VI) schedule, and a 1.5-min VI schedule, on which responses were punished intermittently (24 response variable ratio) with electric footshocks. The 3 benzodiazepines effectively increased responding that were suppressed by punishment; they had inverted U-shaped dose-effect curves. The minimum effective doses for increasing punished responding were: diazepam .ltoreq. 0.31 mg/kg p.o [per os]; N-desmethyldiazepam = chlordiazepoxide = 0.62 mg/kg. As a model to assess potential anti-anxiety activity, this procedure possessed excellent sensitivity and reliability. During initial training, as shock intensity was increased and punished responding became suppressed, some monkeys exhibited an increase in unpunished response rates. This may have represented positive behavioral contrast, but response rate changes were associated with changes in the amount of time the monkeys allocated to each schedule. At certain dose levels, all 3 compounds exerted anti-punishment effects 24 h after administration. When the monkeys had no previous drug experience, they were more sensitive to the depressant effects of the benzodiazepines. With repeated administration, there was a reduction in this sedation and a concomitant increase in the anti-punishment effect. This phenomenon was dose- and animal-dependent.

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