Effects of Drugs on Human Operant Performance
Abstract
The present experiment is one in a series directed toward the development of an operant task which is sensitive to the effects of low doses of various drugs and agents. Four human subjects were given limited training on an operant task that required both attention and moderately fast response rates. Intravenous injections of 1 ml saline, 5 mg diazepam, 250 mg sodium amobarbital, and 10 mg methylphenidate were given in successive sessions in random order. Numbers of responses and errors were subjected to variance analyses. Overall, saline had no significant effect on either response or error rates. Compared to saline, diazepam produced a slight increase in error rates, but it did not alter response rates: amobarbital depressed response rates and increased error rates; whereas methylphenidate increased both response rates and error rates.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0757159
Entities
People
- Stanley H. Holgate