INTERACTION OF AMPHETAMINE AND BODY WEIGHT ON A FOOD-REINFORCED OPERANT

Bar pressing was maintained by food reinforcement of each fiftieth response (FR50 schedule). Rats were tested at 3 levels of food deprivation (60, 80 and 100% of ad libitum body weight) under three drug conditions (0, 0.2 and 0.4 mg of D-amphetamine per rat). Overall response rate was reduced by increasing doses of drug, but not significantly by deprivation, within the range studied. The components of response rate were analysed separately into the starting speed (latency of the first response of each ratio run of 50 responses) and running rate. Drug level affected running rate and first latency of the session, whereas body weight affected only first latency of the session. Only the first latency of the session showed an interaction of drug level and body weight. The lack of interaction raises the question, whether amphetamine is more properly administered as total dose per rat, rather than proportional to body weight. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.