EFFECT OF PHYSOSTIGMINE AND SCOPOLAMINE ON THE MEMORY FUNCTIONS OF CHESS PLAYERS

Abstract

Young trained chess players (6) received 10 consecutive tasks comprising problematic play positions at chess. Each subject was tested 4 .times. with drug orders balanced across subjects. Compared with saline placebo, physostigmine [PS] (20 .mu.g/kg i.v.) in the presence of peripheral muscarinic blockade (methylscopolamine 6 .mu.g/kg i.v.) impaired the performance of good players, but the amount of correct solutions was increased when the initial performance level was low. Scopolamine [SP] (6 .mu.g/kg i.v.) impaired the performance of all subjects, and saline placebo proved inactive. The effect of SP together with PS was about the average of the drugs'' separate effects. The subjects talked less when mildly sedated, and felt nauseated after PS treatment. Anti-muscarinics with and without PS caused cycloplegia in all subjects.