PROACTIVE EFFECT OF A SINGLE ELECTROCONVULSIVE SHOCK (ECS) ON 1-TRIAL LEARNING IN MICE

A SINGLE ECS ADMINISTERED 1-4 HR. BEFORE LEARNING IN A 1-TRIAL LEARNING PROCEDURE PRODUCED A SIGNIFICANT DECREMENT IN RETEST PERFORMANCE OF FEMALE SWISS WEBSTER MICE AS COMPARED WITH UNPRETREATED CONTROLS. THIS EFFECT WAS MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN ECS WAS ADMINISTERED CLOSER IN TIME TO THE LEARNING TRIAL. ECS INTERFERED WITH LEARNING, NOT WITH RETEST PERFORMANCE. IN EXP. II, THE INTERACTION OF AFTEREFFECT OF AN ECS TREATMENT ADMINISTERED PRIOR TO THE LEARNING TRIAL WITH RETROGRADE AMNESIC EFFECT OF A POSTTRIAL ECS WAS INVESTIGATED. A SINGLE ECS PRETREATMENT INTERACTED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE POSTTRIAL ECS ONLY WHEN ADMINISTERED 1-4 HR. BEFORE THE LEARNING TRIAL. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.