Frans van Haaren - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Frans van Haaren

Research paper thumbnail of Roles of sex hormones in a model of generalized absence epilepsy

Seizure activity is associated with a wide range of local bio chemical changes affecting, among o... more Seizure activity is associated with a wide range of local bio chemical changes affecting, among others, amino acid neuro transmitters. Several studies had shown local changes in transmit ter amino acid levels after status epilepticus induced by systemic administration of several chemoconvulsants. Furthermore, local changes in amino acid levels have been demonstrated in the kin dling model of epilepsy. We studied the local changes in trans mitter amino acids in partial and secondarily generalized seizures after picrotoxin microperfusion in rat hippocampus. We used a CMA/120 system for freely moving animals. Rat hippocampus was perfused with Ringer's solution through CMA/ 12 microdialysis probes at a flow rate of 2 jul/min for 3 h with continuous EEG and videotape recording. Dialysate samples were taken every 15 min. After 2 h, a picrotoxin solution (100-300 ¡iM) was substituted for Ringer's solution for 5 min. Samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography with fluorescent precolumn labelling with r;-phthalaldehyde and /V-acetyl-L-cysteine. The same experimental protocol was repeated as many as four times in each rat, with 1-week intervals. The effect of picrotoxin perfusion on y-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, aspartate, glutamate, and taurine extracellular concentrations from consecutive dialysate samples were assessed by one-way analysis of variance. Amino acid level showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in aspartate, glutamate, and gly cine. However, no alterations were noted in extracellular GABA and taurine levels. No significant differences between basal con centrations for each rat were evident after several probe introduc tions.

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioral differences between male and female rats: Effects of gonadal hormones on learning and memory

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 1990

ABSTRACT The organizational, activational and reorganizational effects of gonadal hormones have b... more ABSTRACT The organizational, activational and reorganizational effects of gonadal hormones have been extensively investigated with respect to sexual, aggressive and maternal behavior. It has thus been established that manipulations of gonadal hormones during critical periods in development functionally affect reproductive behavior. The effects of gonadal hormones on nonreproductive behavior are not immediately obvious because of the fact that the behavioral effects of gonadal hormones on learning and memory have been investigated in a large number of unrelated experimental procedures. The present paper provides an organized overview of these different experimental procedures, summarizes the most important findings and discusses some of the variables which determine the effects of manipulations in gonadal hormones on learning and memory in male and female rats.

Research paper thumbnail of Extinction revisited: Implications for application

Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice

Research paper thumbnail of Pyridostigmine Bromide Alters Locomotion and Thigmotaxis of Rats:: Gender Effects

Pharmacology …, 1999

Male rats and female rats in the proestrous and metestrous stages of estrus were tested to determ... more Male rats and female rats in the proestrous and metestrous stages of estrus were tested to determine the effects of pyridostigmine bromide on locomotion rate and thigmotactic response using doses of 3.0, 10.0, and 30.0 mg/kg. Thirty minutes after administration of ...

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioral effects of acute and chronic cocaine administration in male and female rats: effects of fixed-ratio schedule parameters

Behavioural Pharmacology, Nov 1, 1994

Intact and gonadectomized male and female rats pressed a lever to obtain food on different fixed-... more Intact and gonadectomized male and female rats pressed a lever to obtain food on different fixed-ratio (FR) schedules in a three-component multiple schedule. The values of a small, intermediate and large FR schedule were individually determined and were higher for intact male rats than for most subjects in the other groups. Acute cocaine administration (1.0-30.0mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased response rates maintained by all three schedules, but responding maintained by the large FR schedule was more sensitive to the rate-decreasing effects of acute cocaine administration. Response rates of intact male rats were less sensitive to the rate-decreasing effects of cocaine than those of the other groups, at least at higher doses during the small and intermediate FR schedules. Cocaine&amp;amp;#39;s dose-effect curve was redetermined after chronic administration of a behaviorally active dose of cocaine. Differences between groups of subjects were not evident. Behavioral tolerance was consistently observed when responding was maintained by the small FR schedule. Effects varied between subjects within groups when responding was maintained by the intermediate FR schedule, but behavioral tolerance was frequently observed. Behavioral sensitization was evident during the large FR schedule, but these data were difficult to interpret because of a considerable shift in response rates after vehicle administration. The data suggest that the comparison of drug effects in male and female rats requires a systematic analysis of the contribution of behavioral parameters. They also provide additional evidence for the notion that reference to reinforcement-loss alone is not sufficient to explain the development of tolerance to the behavioral effects of cocaine.

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioral effects of acute and chronic cocaine administration in male and female rats: effects of fixed-ratio schedule parameters

Behavioural Pharmacology, Nov 1, 1994

Intact and gonadectomized male and female rats pressed a lever to obtain food on different fixed-... more Intact and gonadectomized male and female rats pressed a lever to obtain food on different fixed-ratio (FR) schedules in a three-component multiple schedule. The values of a small, intermediate and large FR schedule were individually determined and were higher for intact male rats than for most subjects in the other groups. Acute cocaine administration (1.0-30.0mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased response rates maintained by all three schedules, but responding maintained by the large FR schedule was more sensitive to the rate-decreasing effects of acute cocaine administration. Response rates of intact male rats were less sensitive to the rate-decreasing effects of cocaine than those of the other groups, at least at higher doses during the small and intermediate FR schedules. Cocaine&amp;amp;#39;s dose-effect curve was redetermined after chronic administration of a behaviorally active dose of cocaine. Differences between groups of subjects were not evident. Behavioral tolerance was consistently observed when responding was maintained by the small FR schedule. Effects varied between subjects within groups when responding was maintained by the intermediate FR schedule, but behavioral tolerance was frequently observed. Behavioral sensitization was evident during the large FR schedule, but these data were difficult to interpret because of a considerable shift in response rates after vehicle administration. The data suggest that the comparison of drug effects in male and female rats requires a systematic analysis of the contribution of behavioral parameters. They also provide additional evidence for the notion that reference to reinforcement-loss alone is not sufficient to explain the development of tolerance to the behavioral effects of cocaine.

Research paper thumbnail of The behavioral pharmacology of prescription drugs: Their role in problem behavior and skill acquisition

Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Differential versus differentiated reinforcement

Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Primum non nocere': A review of Taking America off Drugs: Why Behavioral Therapy is More Effective for Treating ADHD, OCD, Depression and Other Psychological Problems by Stephen Ray Flora

Behavior analysis in practice, 2009

Taking America off Drugs by Stephen Ray Flora provides an overview of effective behavioral interv... more Taking America off Drugs by Stephen Ray Flora provides an overview of effective behavioral interventions to treat a variety of mental health concerns, including depression and phobias. These disorders are better treated with behavioral than psychopharmacological interventions. Yet, the latter prevail in today's society. Taking America off Drugs provides the background to help us understand why, as it puts the treatment of behavioral disorders in the context of modern psychiatry and its relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. This review provides an overview and critical evaluation of the book, but it also extends its context by discussing the history of the treatment of mental illness and practices of the pharmaceutical-medical complex and by offering an optimistic scenario by which psychopharmacological agents will ultimately be replaced by interventions based on the principles of applied behavior analysis.

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of acute and chronic cocaine administration of paced responding in intact and gonadectomized male and female Wistar rats

Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 1994

The effects of acute and chronic cocaine administration on paced responding in intact and gonadec... more The effects of acute and chronic cocaine administration on paced responding in intact and gonadectomized male and female Wistar rats. PHARMACOL BIOCHEM BEHAV 48(1) 265-273, 1994.-Intact and gonadectomized

Research paper thumbnail of Differential effects of cocaine on high and low response rates maintained with and without rate requirements1

Behav Pharmacol, 1992

Keypecking was maintained by a multiple (tandem random-interval 45-s, differential reinforcement ... more Keypecking was maintained by a multiple (tandem random-interval 45-s, differential reinforcement of low rate 3-s) (tandem random-interval 45-s, differential reinforcement of high rate 0.2-s) schedule of food reinforcement in three pigeons. During non-drug sessions these schedule contingencies effectively controlled high and low response rates under approximately equal reinforcement frequencies. The behavioural effects of acute cocaine administration were assessed in the presence and absence of the response rate requirements (i.e. DRL, DRH contingencies). In the absence of response rate requirements cocaine administration consistently decreased high response rates. Low response rates tended to increase after the lower doses of cocaine, while thèy decreased consistently after the higher doses. High response rates decreased less after the lower doses of cocaine, in two of the three pigeons, when cocaine was administered in the presence of the rate requirements than when cocaine was administered in the absence of the rate requirements, while low rates increased less. Rate of reinforcement remained relatively constant across different lower doses of cocaine in the absence of high-rate requirements, but decreased in the presence of the high-rate requirements. Higher doses of cocaine consistently decreased reinforcement rate. These results support the notion that the behavioral effects of drugs may be a function of the extent to which response rates are directly controlled by schedule variables.

Research paper thumbnail of Delayed response alternation: Effects of stimulus presentations during the delay interval on response accuracy of male and female Wistar rats

The present experiment was designed to investigate the effect of stimulus presentations during th... more The present experiment was designed to investigate the effect of stimulus presentations during the delay interval of an operant delayed spatial response alternation procedure on the response accuracy of male and female Wistar rats. Subjects were exposed to three different delay intervals (5, 10, and 20 sec) during each experimental session. Response accuracy decreased for both males and females as the duration of the delay interval increased. Performance improved over sessions for both sexes . The presentation of stimuli during the delay interval differentially affected the behavior of males and females. Performance of males decreased at all delay intervals when stimuli were presented, whereas no differences in the response accuracy of females were observed.

Research paper thumbnail of Preexposure to unsignaled food: Autoshaping retardation following differential conditioning of food-tray directed behavior

Preexposure to unsignaled food presentation retards the subsequent acquisition of stimulusdirecte... more Preexposure to unsignaled food presentation retards the subsequent acquisition of stimulusdirected responding in autoshaping procedures. We hypothesized that this effect might be a direct function of the extent to which subjects engage in food-tray directed behavior during preexposure. To investigate this notion, unsignaled food presentation was made contingent upon high levels of food-tray directed behavior during preexposure for one group of subjects. For another group of subjects, food presentation during preexposure was contingent upon the occurrence of behavior other than food-tray directed activities. The subjects were then exposed to an autoshaping procedure, in which response-independent food presentations were preceded by the insertion of a response lever into the experimental chamber. Both male and female rats were exposed to these experimental procedures. The subjects that had engaged in high levels of food-tray directed behavior during preexposure exhibited low levels of stimulus-directed behavior during autoshaping, and vice versa. Sex differences were also observed. Males showed more stimulus-directed responding during autoshaping than did females, with no differential effects of preexposure experience.

Research paper thumbnail of Neurobehavioral and Immunological Toxicity of Pyridostigmine, Permethrin and DEET in Males and Females

These experiments were conducted to investigate to what extent relatively small doses of pyridost... more These experiments were conducted to investigate to what extent relatively small doses of pyridostigmine bromide (PB), permethrin (Perm) and N,N, diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) alone, or in different combinations affect neurobehavioral and immunological outcome in male and female rats. Small doses of PB produced neurobehavioral consequences that sometimes differed between male and female rats (decrease in locomotor activity, impairment in learning and performance). Perm and DEET administration alone did not greatly affect locomotor activity (and learning in the case of Perm). PB, Perm and DEET dose-dependently decreased schedule performance. Some synergistic effects were observed in male rats when Perm and DEET were co-administered with PB. PB administration resulted in higher serum PB levels in pro-estrus females than in met-estrus females and intact males. PB administration changed Perm serum levels as they were much higher when Perm was co-administered with PB. Perm levels were higher...

Research paper thumbnail of ‘Primum non nocere’: A review of Taking America off Drugs: Why Behavioral Therapy is More Effective for Treating ADHD, OCD, Depression and Other Psychological Problems by Stephen Ray Flora

Taking America off Drugs by Stephen Ray Flora provides an overview of effective behavioral interv... more Taking America off Drugs by Stephen Ray Flora provides an overview of effective behavioral interventions to treat a variety of mental health concerns, including depression and phobias. These disorders are better treated with behavioral than psychopharmacological interventions. Yet, the latter prevail in today's society. Taking America off Drugs provides the background to help us understand why, as it puts the treatment of behavioral disorders in the context of modern psychiatry and its relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. This review provides an overview and critical evaluation of the book, but it also extends its context by discussing the history of the treatment of mental illness and practices of the pharmaceutical-medical complex and by offering an optimistic scenario by which psychopharmacological agents will ultimately be replaced by interventions based on the principles of applied behavior analysis.

Research paper thumbnail of Delayed response alternation: Effects of stimulus presentations during the delay interval on response accuracy of male and female Wistar rats

Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 1988

The present experiment was designed to investigate the effect of stimulus presentations during th... more The present experiment was designed to investigate the effect of stimulus presentations during the delay interval of an operant delayed spatial response alternation procedure on the response accuracy of male and female Wistar rats. Subjects were exposed to three different delay intervals (5, 10, and 20 sec) during each experimental session. Response accuracy decreased for both males and females as the duration of the delay interval increased. Performance improved over sessions for both sexes . The presentation of stimuli during the delay interval differentially affected the behavior of males and females. Performance of males decreased at all delay intervals when stimuli were presented, whereas no differences in the response accuracy of females were observed.

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of gonadectomy and chronic testosterone suppletion on the autoshaped response of male and female Wistar rats

Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 1989

Different groups of intact, gonadectomized, and gonadectomized plus testosterone-treated male and... more Different groups of intact, gonadectomized, and gonadectomized plus testosterone-treated male and female rats were exposed to an autoshaping procedure in order to investigate the contribution of gonadal hormones to the behavioral differences between intact male and female rats observed in these procedures. Stimulus presentation (5-sec extension of a lever and illumination of the stimulus light above the lever) occurred on a variable-time 25-sec schedule and was followed by the presentation of response-independent food. Intact, castrated, and testosterone-treated males showed more signtracking than intact or gonadectomized females. Testosterone-treated females contacted the CS more often than did intact females. Differences between groups of males were not observed. Between-sex comparisons revealed that intact and gonadectomized males responded more frequently than intact or gonadectomized females; differences between testosterone-treated males and females were not observed. As such, the results of the present experiment suggest that testosterone may play an important role in mediating sex differences in the acquisition of autoshaped responding.

Research paper thumbnail of Spatial memory and visual evoked potentials in young and old rats after housing in an enriched environment

Behavioral and neural biology, 1985

The effects of aging and of housing in an enriched environment on performance in an 8-arm radial ... more The effects of aging and of housing in an enriched environment on performance in an 8-arm radial maze were evaluated in young adult (7-8 months) and old (30-33 months) male Brown-Norway rats, using a procedure in which the rats were confined for 8 s to the central platform of the maze between consecutive choices. Although the old rats attained a level of performance which was clearly above change, they were shown to perform worse than the young rats. No performance differences were found between differentially housed rats of the same age group. In a second experiment recovery cycles of visual evoked potentials were determined in the same rats by using paired flashes with an interstimulus time of 400, 300, 200, or 100 ms. Recovery was consistently smaller in the old rats as compared to the young ones. No correlation could be demonstrated, however, between radial maze performance or housing condition and recovery functions of the visual evoked potentials. This finding indicates that a...

Research paper thumbnail of Age effects on passive avoidance behavior of vasopressin-deficient Brattleboros

Physiology & behavior, 1985

Experiments in which vasopressin-deficient Brattleboros were tested in a passive avoidance proced... more Experiments in which vasopressin-deficient Brattleboros were tested in a passive avoidance procedure have yielded contradictory results. Some investigators observed the passive avoidance behavior of these subjects to be inferior to that of normal controls, while others failed to observe such differences. Inspection of the literature suggested that age differences between subjects which participated in these experiments might be responsible for the discrepancy. In the present experiment, HO-DI and HE Brattleboro rats of different ages were tested in the standard passive avoidance task. Passive avoidance performance of HO-DIs was, indeed, influenced by the age of the subject at the time of testing; HO-DIs reentered the shock compartment sooner than HE at 35 days, but later than HE at 120 days. There was no difference between the two groups of subjects at 60 days. The percentage of HO-DIs which reentered the shock compartment on the post-shock trial decreased with increasing age.

Research paper thumbnail of Preexposure to unsignaled food: Autoshaping retardation following differential conditioning of food-tray directed behavior

Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 1989

Preexposure to unsignaled food presentation retards the subsequent acquisition of stimulusdirecte... more Preexposure to unsignaled food presentation retards the subsequent acquisition of stimulusdirected responding in autoshaping procedures. We hypothesized that this effect might be a direct function of the extent to which subjects engage in food-tray directed behavior during preexposure. To investigate this notion, unsignaled food presentation was made contingent upon high levels of food-tray directed behavior during preexposure for one group of subjects. For another group of subjects, food presentation during preexposure was contingent upon the occurrence of behavior other than food-tray directed activities. The subjects were then exposed to an autoshaping procedure, in which response-independent food presentations were preceded by the insertion of a response lever into the experimental chamber. Both male and female rats were exposed to these experimental procedures. The subjects that had engaged in high levels of food-tray directed behavior during preexposure exhibited low levels of stimulus-directed behavior during autoshaping, and vice versa. Sex differences were also observed. Males showed more stimulus-directed responding during autoshaping than did females, with no differential effects of preexposure experience.

Research paper thumbnail of Roles of sex hormones in a model of generalized absence epilepsy

Seizure activity is associated with a wide range of local bio chemical changes affecting, among o... more Seizure activity is associated with a wide range of local bio chemical changes affecting, among others, amino acid neuro transmitters. Several studies had shown local changes in transmit ter amino acid levels after status epilepticus induced by systemic administration of several chemoconvulsants. Furthermore, local changes in amino acid levels have been demonstrated in the kin dling model of epilepsy. We studied the local changes in trans mitter amino acids in partial and secondarily generalized seizures after picrotoxin microperfusion in rat hippocampus. We used a CMA/120 system for freely moving animals. Rat hippocampus was perfused with Ringer's solution through CMA/ 12 microdialysis probes at a flow rate of 2 jul/min for 3 h with continuous EEG and videotape recording. Dialysate samples were taken every 15 min. After 2 h, a picrotoxin solution (100-300 ¡iM) was substituted for Ringer's solution for 5 min. Samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography with fluorescent precolumn labelling with r;-phthalaldehyde and /V-acetyl-L-cysteine. The same experimental protocol was repeated as many as four times in each rat, with 1-week intervals. The effect of picrotoxin perfusion on y-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, aspartate, glutamate, and taurine extracellular concentrations from consecutive dialysate samples were assessed by one-way analysis of variance. Amino acid level showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in aspartate, glutamate, and gly cine. However, no alterations were noted in extracellular GABA and taurine levels. No significant differences between basal con centrations for each rat were evident after several probe introduc tions.

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioral differences between male and female rats: Effects of gonadal hormones on learning and memory

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 1990

ABSTRACT The organizational, activational and reorganizational effects of gonadal hormones have b... more ABSTRACT The organizational, activational and reorganizational effects of gonadal hormones have been extensively investigated with respect to sexual, aggressive and maternal behavior. It has thus been established that manipulations of gonadal hormones during critical periods in development functionally affect reproductive behavior. The effects of gonadal hormones on nonreproductive behavior are not immediately obvious because of the fact that the behavioral effects of gonadal hormones on learning and memory have been investigated in a large number of unrelated experimental procedures. The present paper provides an organized overview of these different experimental procedures, summarizes the most important findings and discusses some of the variables which determine the effects of manipulations in gonadal hormones on learning and memory in male and female rats.

Research paper thumbnail of Extinction revisited: Implications for application

Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice

Research paper thumbnail of Pyridostigmine Bromide Alters Locomotion and Thigmotaxis of Rats:: Gender Effects

Pharmacology …, 1999

Male rats and female rats in the proestrous and metestrous stages of estrus were tested to determ... more Male rats and female rats in the proestrous and metestrous stages of estrus were tested to determine the effects of pyridostigmine bromide on locomotion rate and thigmotactic response using doses of 3.0, 10.0, and 30.0 mg/kg. Thirty minutes after administration of ...

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioral effects of acute and chronic cocaine administration in male and female rats: effects of fixed-ratio schedule parameters

Behavioural Pharmacology, Nov 1, 1994

Intact and gonadectomized male and female rats pressed a lever to obtain food on different fixed-... more Intact and gonadectomized male and female rats pressed a lever to obtain food on different fixed-ratio (FR) schedules in a three-component multiple schedule. The values of a small, intermediate and large FR schedule were individually determined and were higher for intact male rats than for most subjects in the other groups. Acute cocaine administration (1.0-30.0mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased response rates maintained by all three schedules, but responding maintained by the large FR schedule was more sensitive to the rate-decreasing effects of acute cocaine administration. Response rates of intact male rats were less sensitive to the rate-decreasing effects of cocaine than those of the other groups, at least at higher doses during the small and intermediate FR schedules. Cocaine&amp;amp;#39;s dose-effect curve was redetermined after chronic administration of a behaviorally active dose of cocaine. Differences between groups of subjects were not evident. Behavioral tolerance was consistently observed when responding was maintained by the small FR schedule. Effects varied between subjects within groups when responding was maintained by the intermediate FR schedule, but behavioral tolerance was frequently observed. Behavioral sensitization was evident during the large FR schedule, but these data were difficult to interpret because of a considerable shift in response rates after vehicle administration. The data suggest that the comparison of drug effects in male and female rats requires a systematic analysis of the contribution of behavioral parameters. They also provide additional evidence for the notion that reference to reinforcement-loss alone is not sufficient to explain the development of tolerance to the behavioral effects of cocaine.

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioral effects of acute and chronic cocaine administration in male and female rats: effects of fixed-ratio schedule parameters

Behavioural Pharmacology, Nov 1, 1994

Intact and gonadectomized male and female rats pressed a lever to obtain food on different fixed-... more Intact and gonadectomized male and female rats pressed a lever to obtain food on different fixed-ratio (FR) schedules in a three-component multiple schedule. The values of a small, intermediate and large FR schedule were individually determined and were higher for intact male rats than for most subjects in the other groups. Acute cocaine administration (1.0-30.0mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased response rates maintained by all three schedules, but responding maintained by the large FR schedule was more sensitive to the rate-decreasing effects of acute cocaine administration. Response rates of intact male rats were less sensitive to the rate-decreasing effects of cocaine than those of the other groups, at least at higher doses during the small and intermediate FR schedules. Cocaine&amp;amp;#39;s dose-effect curve was redetermined after chronic administration of a behaviorally active dose of cocaine. Differences between groups of subjects were not evident. Behavioral tolerance was consistently observed when responding was maintained by the small FR schedule. Effects varied between subjects within groups when responding was maintained by the intermediate FR schedule, but behavioral tolerance was frequently observed. Behavioral sensitization was evident during the large FR schedule, but these data were difficult to interpret because of a considerable shift in response rates after vehicle administration. The data suggest that the comparison of drug effects in male and female rats requires a systematic analysis of the contribution of behavioral parameters. They also provide additional evidence for the notion that reference to reinforcement-loss alone is not sufficient to explain the development of tolerance to the behavioral effects of cocaine.

Research paper thumbnail of The behavioral pharmacology of prescription drugs: Their role in problem behavior and skill acquisition

Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Differential versus differentiated reinforcement

Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Primum non nocere': A review of Taking America off Drugs: Why Behavioral Therapy is More Effective for Treating ADHD, OCD, Depression and Other Psychological Problems by Stephen Ray Flora

Behavior analysis in practice, 2009

Taking America off Drugs by Stephen Ray Flora provides an overview of effective behavioral interv... more Taking America off Drugs by Stephen Ray Flora provides an overview of effective behavioral interventions to treat a variety of mental health concerns, including depression and phobias. These disorders are better treated with behavioral than psychopharmacological interventions. Yet, the latter prevail in today's society. Taking America off Drugs provides the background to help us understand why, as it puts the treatment of behavioral disorders in the context of modern psychiatry and its relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. This review provides an overview and critical evaluation of the book, but it also extends its context by discussing the history of the treatment of mental illness and practices of the pharmaceutical-medical complex and by offering an optimistic scenario by which psychopharmacological agents will ultimately be replaced by interventions based on the principles of applied behavior analysis.

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of acute and chronic cocaine administration of paced responding in intact and gonadectomized male and female Wistar rats

Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 1994

The effects of acute and chronic cocaine administration on paced responding in intact and gonadec... more The effects of acute and chronic cocaine administration on paced responding in intact and gonadectomized male and female Wistar rats. PHARMACOL BIOCHEM BEHAV 48(1) 265-273, 1994.-Intact and gonadectomized

Research paper thumbnail of Differential effects of cocaine on high and low response rates maintained with and without rate requirements1

Behav Pharmacol, 1992

Keypecking was maintained by a multiple (tandem random-interval 45-s, differential reinforcement ... more Keypecking was maintained by a multiple (tandem random-interval 45-s, differential reinforcement of low rate 3-s) (tandem random-interval 45-s, differential reinforcement of high rate 0.2-s) schedule of food reinforcement in three pigeons. During non-drug sessions these schedule contingencies effectively controlled high and low response rates under approximately equal reinforcement frequencies. The behavioural effects of acute cocaine administration were assessed in the presence and absence of the response rate requirements (i.e. DRL, DRH contingencies). In the absence of response rate requirements cocaine administration consistently decreased high response rates. Low response rates tended to increase after the lower doses of cocaine, while thèy decreased consistently after the higher doses. High response rates decreased less after the lower doses of cocaine, in two of the three pigeons, when cocaine was administered in the presence of the rate requirements than when cocaine was administered in the absence of the rate requirements, while low rates increased less. Rate of reinforcement remained relatively constant across different lower doses of cocaine in the absence of high-rate requirements, but decreased in the presence of the high-rate requirements. Higher doses of cocaine consistently decreased reinforcement rate. These results support the notion that the behavioral effects of drugs may be a function of the extent to which response rates are directly controlled by schedule variables.

Research paper thumbnail of Delayed response alternation: Effects of stimulus presentations during the delay interval on response accuracy of male and female Wistar rats

The present experiment was designed to investigate the effect of stimulus presentations during th... more The present experiment was designed to investigate the effect of stimulus presentations during the delay interval of an operant delayed spatial response alternation procedure on the response accuracy of male and female Wistar rats. Subjects were exposed to three different delay intervals (5, 10, and 20 sec) during each experimental session. Response accuracy decreased for both males and females as the duration of the delay interval increased. Performance improved over sessions for both sexes . The presentation of stimuli during the delay interval differentially affected the behavior of males and females. Performance of males decreased at all delay intervals when stimuli were presented, whereas no differences in the response accuracy of females were observed.

Research paper thumbnail of Preexposure to unsignaled food: Autoshaping retardation following differential conditioning of food-tray directed behavior

Preexposure to unsignaled food presentation retards the subsequent acquisition of stimulusdirecte... more Preexposure to unsignaled food presentation retards the subsequent acquisition of stimulusdirected responding in autoshaping procedures. We hypothesized that this effect might be a direct function of the extent to which subjects engage in food-tray directed behavior during preexposure. To investigate this notion, unsignaled food presentation was made contingent upon high levels of food-tray directed behavior during preexposure for one group of subjects. For another group of subjects, food presentation during preexposure was contingent upon the occurrence of behavior other than food-tray directed activities. The subjects were then exposed to an autoshaping procedure, in which response-independent food presentations were preceded by the insertion of a response lever into the experimental chamber. Both male and female rats were exposed to these experimental procedures. The subjects that had engaged in high levels of food-tray directed behavior during preexposure exhibited low levels of stimulus-directed behavior during autoshaping, and vice versa. Sex differences were also observed. Males showed more stimulus-directed responding during autoshaping than did females, with no differential effects of preexposure experience.

Research paper thumbnail of Neurobehavioral and Immunological Toxicity of Pyridostigmine, Permethrin and DEET in Males and Females

These experiments were conducted to investigate to what extent relatively small doses of pyridost... more These experiments were conducted to investigate to what extent relatively small doses of pyridostigmine bromide (PB), permethrin (Perm) and N,N, diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) alone, or in different combinations affect neurobehavioral and immunological outcome in male and female rats. Small doses of PB produced neurobehavioral consequences that sometimes differed between male and female rats (decrease in locomotor activity, impairment in learning and performance). Perm and DEET administration alone did not greatly affect locomotor activity (and learning in the case of Perm). PB, Perm and DEET dose-dependently decreased schedule performance. Some synergistic effects were observed in male rats when Perm and DEET were co-administered with PB. PB administration resulted in higher serum PB levels in pro-estrus females than in met-estrus females and intact males. PB administration changed Perm serum levels as they were much higher when Perm was co-administered with PB. Perm levels were higher...

Research paper thumbnail of ‘Primum non nocere’: A review of Taking America off Drugs: Why Behavioral Therapy is More Effective for Treating ADHD, OCD, Depression and Other Psychological Problems by Stephen Ray Flora

Taking America off Drugs by Stephen Ray Flora provides an overview of effective behavioral interv... more Taking America off Drugs by Stephen Ray Flora provides an overview of effective behavioral interventions to treat a variety of mental health concerns, including depression and phobias. These disorders are better treated with behavioral than psychopharmacological interventions. Yet, the latter prevail in today's society. Taking America off Drugs provides the background to help us understand why, as it puts the treatment of behavioral disorders in the context of modern psychiatry and its relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. This review provides an overview and critical evaluation of the book, but it also extends its context by discussing the history of the treatment of mental illness and practices of the pharmaceutical-medical complex and by offering an optimistic scenario by which psychopharmacological agents will ultimately be replaced by interventions based on the principles of applied behavior analysis.

Research paper thumbnail of Delayed response alternation: Effects of stimulus presentations during the delay interval on response accuracy of male and female Wistar rats

Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 1988

The present experiment was designed to investigate the effect of stimulus presentations during th... more The present experiment was designed to investigate the effect of stimulus presentations during the delay interval of an operant delayed spatial response alternation procedure on the response accuracy of male and female Wistar rats. Subjects were exposed to three different delay intervals (5, 10, and 20 sec) during each experimental session. Response accuracy decreased for both males and females as the duration of the delay interval increased. Performance improved over sessions for both sexes . The presentation of stimuli during the delay interval differentially affected the behavior of males and females. Performance of males decreased at all delay intervals when stimuli were presented, whereas no differences in the response accuracy of females were observed.

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of gonadectomy and chronic testosterone suppletion on the autoshaped response of male and female Wistar rats

Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 1989

Different groups of intact, gonadectomized, and gonadectomized plus testosterone-treated male and... more Different groups of intact, gonadectomized, and gonadectomized plus testosterone-treated male and female rats were exposed to an autoshaping procedure in order to investigate the contribution of gonadal hormones to the behavioral differences between intact male and female rats observed in these procedures. Stimulus presentation (5-sec extension of a lever and illumination of the stimulus light above the lever) occurred on a variable-time 25-sec schedule and was followed by the presentation of response-independent food. Intact, castrated, and testosterone-treated males showed more signtracking than intact or gonadectomized females. Testosterone-treated females contacted the CS more often than did intact females. Differences between groups of males were not observed. Between-sex comparisons revealed that intact and gonadectomized males responded more frequently than intact or gonadectomized females; differences between testosterone-treated males and females were not observed. As such, the results of the present experiment suggest that testosterone may play an important role in mediating sex differences in the acquisition of autoshaped responding.

Research paper thumbnail of Spatial memory and visual evoked potentials in young and old rats after housing in an enriched environment

Behavioral and neural biology, 1985

The effects of aging and of housing in an enriched environment on performance in an 8-arm radial ... more The effects of aging and of housing in an enriched environment on performance in an 8-arm radial maze were evaluated in young adult (7-8 months) and old (30-33 months) male Brown-Norway rats, using a procedure in which the rats were confined for 8 s to the central platform of the maze between consecutive choices. Although the old rats attained a level of performance which was clearly above change, they were shown to perform worse than the young rats. No performance differences were found between differentially housed rats of the same age group. In a second experiment recovery cycles of visual evoked potentials were determined in the same rats by using paired flashes with an interstimulus time of 400, 300, 200, or 100 ms. Recovery was consistently smaller in the old rats as compared to the young ones. No correlation could be demonstrated, however, between radial maze performance or housing condition and recovery functions of the visual evoked potentials. This finding indicates that a...

Research paper thumbnail of Age effects on passive avoidance behavior of vasopressin-deficient Brattleboros

Physiology & behavior, 1985

Experiments in which vasopressin-deficient Brattleboros were tested in a passive avoidance proced... more Experiments in which vasopressin-deficient Brattleboros were tested in a passive avoidance procedure have yielded contradictory results. Some investigators observed the passive avoidance behavior of these subjects to be inferior to that of normal controls, while others failed to observe such differences. Inspection of the literature suggested that age differences between subjects which participated in these experiments might be responsible for the discrepancy. In the present experiment, HO-DI and HE Brattleboro rats of different ages were tested in the standard passive avoidance task. Passive avoidance performance of HO-DIs was, indeed, influenced by the age of the subject at the time of testing; HO-DIs reentered the shock compartment sooner than HE at 35 days, but later than HE at 120 days. There was no difference between the two groups of subjects at 60 days. The percentage of HO-DIs which reentered the shock compartment on the post-shock trial decreased with increasing age.

Research paper thumbnail of Preexposure to unsignaled food: Autoshaping retardation following differential conditioning of food-tray directed behavior

Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 1989

Preexposure to unsignaled food presentation retards the subsequent acquisition of stimulusdirecte... more Preexposure to unsignaled food presentation retards the subsequent acquisition of stimulusdirected responding in autoshaping procedures. We hypothesized that this effect might be a direct function of the extent to which subjects engage in food-tray directed behavior during preexposure. To investigate this notion, unsignaled food presentation was made contingent upon high levels of food-tray directed behavior during preexposure for one group of subjects. For another group of subjects, food presentation during preexposure was contingent upon the occurrence of behavior other than food-tray directed activities. The subjects were then exposed to an autoshaping procedure, in which response-independent food presentations were preceded by the insertion of a response lever into the experimental chamber. Both male and female rats were exposed to these experimental procedures. The subjects that had engaged in high levels of food-tray directed behavior during preexposure exhibited low levels of stimulus-directed behavior during autoshaping, and vice versa. Sex differences were also observed. Males showed more stimulus-directed responding during autoshaping than did females, with no differential effects of preexposure experience.