DRUG EFFECTS ON A DISCRETE CONDITIONED AVOIDANCE RESPONSE IN DOGS RHESUS MONKEYS AND RATS

Dogs, rhesus monkeys and rats were trained to avoid electric shock by using different discrete conditioned avoidance response procedures. Chlorpromazine selectively blocked avoidance behavior in the rat, but non-selectively blocked both avoidance and escape behavior in the dog and monkey. Morphine was selective against avoidance behavior in the rat but was inactive in the dog and monkey. Pentobarbital and meprobamate non-selectively blocked both avoidance and escape performance in all three species. These data, when compared with literature reports, support the conclusion that selective antiavoidance activity is not an intrinsic property of the chlorpromazine or morphine molecule. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.