The effects of chlordiazepoxide HCl administration upon punishment and conditioned suppression in the rat.

Journal article

Rats were trained to lever press for sucrose on a random interval (RI) 64-s schedule. During a 55 min session there were four 3 min "intrusion periods" signalled by a flashing house-light. In experiment 1 there were two groups matched for baseline response rate. During the intrusion periods one group received response-independent footshock on an independent RI 64 schedule; the other group received response-contingent shock on this schedule. Shock intensity was varied for each rat to match degree of response suppression between the two groups. Chlordiazepoxide HCl (CDP) in doses 0.5-5 mg/kg alleviated response suppression equally in both groups. Experiment II followed the same procedure, except that all animals had the same shock intensity, producing greater response suppression in the response-contingent shock groups. CDP alleviated response suppression more in the response-contingent shock groups, significantly so at 5 mg/kg, nonsignificantly at 1 mg/kg. These results suggest that previous reports that CDP differentially alleviates the response suppression produced by response-contingent shock are an artefact of rate dependency.

Authors: Rawlins, J; Feldon, J; Salmon, P; Gray, J; Garrud, P

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Psychopharmacology
• Volume: 70
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 317-322
• Publication date: 1980-01-01
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00427894
• EISSN: 1432-2072
• ISSN: 0033-3158
• Language: English
• Keywords: Chlordiazepoxide; Punishment; Conditioning, Operant; Rats; Electroshock; Animals; Male