THE USE OF CONDITIONED SUPPRESSION TO EVALUATE THE NATURE OF NEUROLEPTIC-INDUCED AVOIDANCE DEFICITS

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 213  (3) , 623-627
Abstract
Groups (8) of rats received five 10-trial sessions of 1-way avoidance training in which each trial was initiated by a 10 s tone stimulus and terminated either by a shuttle response during the tone (avoidance) or by a response during the electric shock (escape). Rats in groups treated with pimozide (0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg i.p.) failed to acquire the avoidance response although they escaped readily when shock was presented, whereas control rats consistently avoided the shock. The same rats then received several sessions of food-reinforced lever-pressing in a different apparatus; no drugs were given during these sessions. When responding had stabilized, the tone that had signalled shock in the avoidance sessions was presented for a 1 min period. A significant decrease in responding during the tone was observed in all groups when compared to unshocked controls, demonstrating that the pimozide-treated rats, although falling to acquire the avoidance response in the shuttle box, had learned the association between the tone and shock. Apparently the neuroleptic-treated animals failed to avoid because of a deficit in the ability to initiate responses rather than a deficit in associative learning.

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