The effects of chlordiazepoxide, amphetamine and cocaine on bar-press behavior in normal and genetically nervous dogs

Abstract

Studies on two strains of pointer dogs have demonstrated that administration of a benzodiazepine (chlordiazepoxide) facilitates acquisition of goal-directed behavior in "genetically nervous" subjects. Continued admistration of the drug is required to maintain barpress response in this strain of dogs. The concomitant administration of either cocaine or amphetamine, compounds which inhibit neuronal reuptake of norepinephrine, disrupts the behavioral response of the genetically nervous E-strain subjects to a far greater extent than the stable A-strain subjects. It is also shown that after 14 days of daily administration of chlordiazepoxide, withdrawal of the drug not only re-results in almost complete loss of bar-press response in the E-strain subjects but also results in a temporary decrease in the acquired behavioral response of the stable A-strain subjects.