Joseph V. Brady

A COMPARATIVE APPROACH TO THE EVALUATION OF DRUG EFFECTS UPON AFFECTIVE BEHAVIOR

Recent developments in the use of chemicotherapeutic agents for clinical psychopathology have stimulated renewed interest in laboratory testing methods for assessing behavioral and central-nervous-system changes associated with such drug administration. Animal-conditioning techniques promise to provide at least one potentially valuable approach to some of the problems in this area, although the selective assessment of specific drug activity a t neural and behavioral levels has continued to present many difficulties. Of particular concern in this respect would seem to be the numerous methodological and theoretical problems involved in the experimental evaluation of emotional or affective behavioral changes related to the action of certain pharmacologic agents. The purpose of this report is to describe a method, based upon earlier animal experimental for reliably producing and selectively measuring emotional behavior patterns in experimental animals, and to illustrate the use of this method for investigating the effects of drugs.

Heart Rate: Differential Effects of Hypothalamic and Septal Self-Stimulation

Heart rate in rats was recorded during self-stimulation with electrodes permanently implanted in both the hypothalamus and the septal region. Acceleration was observed during stimulation of the hypothalamus, and deceleration during stimulation of the septal region. In both areas self-stimulation reduced variability in heart rate.

Instrumental Conditioning of Jugular Self-Infusion in the Rhesus Monkey

A technique is described for self-infusion of pharmacologic agents in solution through a permanently indwelling jugular catheter in the rhesus monkey. The results of an experiment utilizing this technique demonstrate that an instrumental lever response can be conditioned, extinguished, reconditioned, and brought under stimulus control and reward-schedule control with saline self-infusion as the reinforcing stimulus.

Drugs Effects on Lever Positioning Behavior

A technique is described for generating a continuous lever positioning response in the rhesus monkey. The effects of several drugs on this behavior were studied.

A new device for the application of electrical shock

A new apparatus has been developed for the simple, safe, and effective delivery of electric shock. It delivers a single-pulse high-voltage shock of very short duration. Both voltage and current are easily measured and the applied energy can be calculated. Constant energy applications depend less upon skin contact resistance than is the case with 600-V 60-Hz shockers.

A Student Self-Grading Technique for Increasing the Didactic Value of the Classroom Exam

A technique is described which permits students to grade their own exams immediately after the exam is completed. The technique prevents cheating, allows rapid confirmation of correct answers (relative to conventional grading practices), and saves the instructor considerable tedious work.