RECOVERY OF A CONDITIONED EMOTIONAL RESPONSE AFTER ONE OR TWO ELECTROCONVULSIVE SHOCKS

AMNESIA AND RECOVERY OF A CONDITIONED EMOTIONAL RESPONSE FOLLOWED BY ECS WERE INVESTIGATED IN A 1-TRIAL LEARNING SITUATION. 192 SWISS MALE WATER-DEPRIVED MICE RECEIVED FOOT SHOCK IN THE DRINKING CHAMBER IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY ECS. INDEPENDENT GROUPS WERE TESTED FOR RETENTION 3, 24, OR 48 HR. LATER. AT 3 HR., SS THAT RECEIVED BOTH SHOCK AND ECS SHOWED NEARLY COMPLETE AMNESIA RELATIVE TO CONTROLS THAT RECEIVED NO SHOCK OR ONLY ECS; FOR THOSE SS THAT RECEIVED SHOCK AND NO ECS, DRINKING BEHAVIOR WAS SUPPRESSED. PROGRESSIVE SUPPRESSION OF DRINKING WAS FOUND AT THE 24- AND 48-HR PERIODS FOR THE SHOCK-ECS GROUP. THESE RESULTS WERE REPEATED IN EXP. II WHERE SHOCK-ECS TREATMENTS WERE GIVEN ON 2 SUCCESSIVE DAYS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.