Ralph S. Ryback

Effect of ethanol, bourbon and various ethanol levels on Y-maze learning in the goldfish

SummaryLarge goldfish, 15–20 cm long, were trained in a continuous Y-maze in two continuous and concomitant experiments. In the first experiment synthetic ethanol solutions of 400 mg/100 ml (400 mg-%), and 650 mg-% were compared with water controls as to the rate of learning after 2 hours exposure to the same ethanol solutions, respectively. In the second experiment synthetic ethanol solutions, with a low congener content, of 400 mg-%, 550 mg-% and 650 mg-% and a bourbon solution of 650 mg-% with a high congener content, were compared to water controls as to rate and retention of learning after varying time intervals. Four major results were obtained. First, large amounts of ethanol generally interfere with performance. Second, that subjects after 6 hours of continuous exposure had “adapted” to high levels of ethanol and performed similar to water controls or subjects after 72 hours of continuous exposure. Third, that the reduction in the observed pharmacological effect of ethanol is due more to the prolonged presence of ethanol in the brain than to whether the level is rising or falling. Fourth, that there is a difference between the behavioral effect of ethanol, with a low congener content (similar to vodka) and bourbon with a high congener content. That is, the fish with bourbon learned more poorly than fish in ethanol solutions. The goldfish with its simple neuroanatomy and behavior is offered as a heuristic model to further delineate the variables of dose level, previous experience with alcohol at a given or rising level, initial exposure to alcohol or “adaptation” of the C.N.S. to its continuous presence and the type of beverage as to its congener content.

Disruption of short-term memory in man following consumption of ethanol

Over a 45-min period, accuracy of recognition of previously presented pictures systematically decreased in 10 nonalcoholics after a moderate amount of alcohol was consumed. The decline in performance was relatively greater when the number of pictures between the old picture and its question was larger, suggesting that alcohol affected retrieval as well as attention mechanisms.

Effects of ethanol and sodium phenobarbital on conflict behavior of goldfish (Carassiusauratus)

Abstract Hungry goldfish learned to press a lever for worms obtainable on a 2 min variable-interval schedule of reinforcement. Conflict was induced by rewarding with a worm and punishing with an electric shock any lever responses made in the presence of a flashing light. The resulting suppression of responding was attenuated in fish exposed to sodium phenobarbital. Ethanol solutions were generally without effect.

Toxicity of diethanolamine in mice

Abstract The acute pathotoxicity of diethanolamine (D) and diethanolamine-rutin (DR) was investigated in mice. Toxic doses produced depressant effects similar to those of ethanol. In mice the ip LD50 values for D and DR were 2.3 g/kg and 2.4 g/kg, respectively. A dose of 0.5 g/kg of DR given ip daily for 5 days, increased serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamicpyruvic transaminase (SGPT) activities. Acute doses of DR revealed a dosedependent effect on increasing serum transaminase levels. Ethanol and DR are synergistic with respect to alteration of both SGOT and SGPT activities. LD50 doses of D and DR produced hepatic steatosis and cellular degeneration. These findings indicate that D and DR are toxic at about twice the dose reported to protect rodents against acute ethanol-induced motor incapacitation.

Diethanolamine: A possible weak agonist-antagonist to ethanol

Abstract Diethanolamine-rutin (DR) and dimethoxyethylamine-rutin (DMR) were studied for their effects on ethanol-induced sleep time in mice. The DR-ethanol curve was shifted to the right of the saline-ethanol curve indicating a DR protection against ethanol-induced sleep. Blood- or brain-ethanol levels were approximately equal for both treatment conditions suggesting that DRs protective action was not due to a lower blood- or brain-ethanol level. In contrast, the DMR-ethanol curve was shifted to the left of the saline-ethanol curve indicating an enhancement of ethanol-induced sleep time. This action of DMR is probably not due to an effect on ethanol metabolism, since no significant difference was found in blood- or brain-ethanol levels in this group relative to the saline-ethanol mice. Attempts to demonstrate antidotal activity for DR were unsuccessful in that treatment of mice with DR after ethanol administration prolonged sleep time. The findings of this study suggest that diethanolamine acts a weak agonist-antagonist to ethanol in the CNS.

Should the Psychiatrist Be Hospitalized

E’VE been seeing the patient regularly for the past five years. For the sake of W anonymity, we will call him Psi. His problem as initially presented to us was a chronic inability to use his full potential in his work. Particularly, he showed an inability to learn by his past mistakes. He would make the same errors time and time again. It appeared that he couldn’t remember what caused him to behave the way he had on previous occasions, and couldn’t see how the present situation was analogous to a prior one. He couldn’t remember how he had previously responded

A method to study Short-Term Memory (STM) in the goldfish

Twenty-one common goldfish (13-15.5 cm long) were randomly divided into alcohol (A) and nonalcohol (NA) groups and were trained in an alcohol solution of 400 mg/100 ml or in water, respectively. All alcohol fish were placed in an alcohol solution of 400 mg/100 ml for 3 hr before training in the same alcohol concentration. Fish were trained on a position discrimination task for 2 consecutive days. The door used for training was that opposite to each fishs spontaneous preference. Savings in relearning on Day 2 was taken as a measure of long term memory strength. Only fish which reached criterion on both days were immediately given 10 forced reversal trails in the opposite direction (i.e., a fish trained on right door was forced to choose the left door.) A and NA subjects were then tested after a 5 min (STM) delay, respectively, in a free choice situation for 10 trails (i.e., neither door was blocked). The results suggest that alcohol facilitates the STM of the forced reversal information.

A Normative Model for Problem- and Goal-Oriented Therapeutic Intervention

The problemoriented medical record (POMR, or simply POR) introduced by Weed (1968, 1969) and currently being used in mental health (Ryback, 1974), is a simple conceptual framework designed to expedite and improve medical record keeping by providing systematic information regarding: (1) basic description of the patient, including psychiatric and medical history (the data base); (2) the problems for which he is being treated (the problem list); (3) the treatment interventions appropriate for each problem (plans); and (4) the patienťs responsiveness to treatment (followup) (Table 1). These four logically sequenced sections provide the necessary information for describing the treatment process and for assessing quality of care (Hayes-Roth, Longabaugh, & Ryback, 1975). In terms of specific content, the problem list contains a numbered index listing all the problems that will need to be considered for comprehensive care of the particular patient. The plans, specified separately for each problem, indicate what actions need to be taken, including: further identification and delineation of the problem, the treatments that are to be carried out, parameters for monitoring the progress of therapy, and the information that will be shared with the patient and his family regarding the problems. Follow-up includes progress notes and, where appropriate, flow sheets. Each progress note, headed by a problem title and