Emotional factors in experimental neuroses.

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Abstract
Strychnine injs. (in dosages of 0.45 mg./kg.-1.5 mg./kg.) induced explosive reactions to sound (epileptiform seizures) in previously not susceptible rats and increased the susceptibility of animals which had had seizures without strychnine, so that they reacted to sound with an attack more frequently, and also reacted to lower intensities of sound. In a behavioral analysis by the time-sample method it was found that susceptible animals showed a preponderance of involuntary activity (tremor, twitching, lip-wetting) in non-attack trials, and a reduction of this type of behavior (below the % found in normal animals) immediately before an attack, together with inactivity and reduction of exploratory and manipulatory-activity. The behavior prevalent in non-susceptible animals consisted of vigorous bodily activity. Such activity, therefore, may represent a defensive reaction to the disturbing situation. The difference in behavior during sound stimulation between normal and susceptible animals before an attack, and of susceptible animals in non-attack trials as compared to susceptible animals in attack trials, was highly significant. Strychnine injs. changed the behavior of previously normal animals to conform to the behavior observed in previously susceptible rats. Adrenalin injs. duplicated the symptoms of involuntary activity during sound stimulation in animals which had not shown such behavior before, and reduced exploratory and manipulatory activity. Adrenalin injs. prevented seizures in susceptible rats in dosages from .007 mg./kg.-.0105 mg./kg., and (in dosages from .014 mg./kg.-.06 mg./kg.) also prevented attacks in animals made susceptible by strychnine. After identifying the "involuntary" behavior of this study with fear behavior as reported in previous investigations, it was suggested that sound-produced attacks can be avoided by an intense fear reaction accompanied by adrenalin secretion, as well as by adrenalin inj.