Drugs and the discrimination of duration.
J L Altman, J B Appel, W T McGowan
Psychopharmacology January 31, 1979 DOI: 10.1007/bf00432291 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Behavioral pharmacology experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Pigeons |
| Interventions | LSD d-amphetamine chlorpromazine delta9-THC |
| Dose | LSD 0.01, 0.04, 0.16 mg/kg; d-amphetamine 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 mg/kg; chlorpromazine 7.5, 15.0, 30.0 mg/kg; THC dose not stated |
| Key findings | LSD slowed responding but left discrimination accuracy unchanged, while d-amphetamine increased perseverative 'spatial bias' and at the highest dose slowed responses without affecting accuracy. Chlorpromazine and THC both reduced accuracy and response speed, but neither significantly altered perseveration. |
Abstract
The effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), d-amphetamine (AMP), chlorpromazine (CPZ), and the most active isomer of marihuana (delta9 - THC) on timing behavior were analyzed with a two-choice, discrete trial procedure in which pigeons were trained to discriminate visual stimuli that differed with respect to duration ('long' vs. 'short'). LSD (0.01, 0.04, 0.16 mg/kg) decreased response speed (increased latency), but otherwise had no significant effects on performance of the discrimination. d-Amphetamine (1.0, 2.0, 4.0 mg/kg) increased perseveration of 'spatial bias' and, at a dose of 4.0 mg/kg, lowered response speed. This compound did not significantly alter accuracy (percentage correct). CPZ (7.5, 15.0, 30.0 mg/kg) significantly decreased accuracy and, at a dose of 30.0 mg/kg, significantly lowered speed; THC also decreased accuracy and lowered speed. Neither CPZ nor THC significantly altered perseveration.