The effect of electroconvulsive shock on fixated behavior of the rat: I. The effect of a ten-and of a twenty-five-day series of ECS on the stability of the fixated response.

Abstract

To determine the effect of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) on fixated jumping behavior of the rat, animals were trained, frustated, and given a 20-day solvable problem discrimination test for the stability of their responses. They were then divided into shock and rest groups. The shock animals in the 1st study were given a 10-day series of ECS and in the 2d study a 25-day series of ECS, control animals rested the respective number of days. All rats were then given a 20-day retest. Neither the 10-day series nor the 25-day series of ECS was effective in causing the rats to abandon their fixations and learn the solvable problem. However, the 25-day series of ECS caused an increase in the latencies of discriminative jumping responses during the 1st two postshock days'' trials, also some variability of the fixated responses.