Behavioral patterns of anti barbituric action after 5‐phenyl‐2‐imino‐4‐oxo‐oxazolidine, amphetamine, and caffeine

Abstract

A battery of objective behavioral tests was used to assay the differential patterning of antibarbituric effects of 5‐phenyl‐2‐imino‐4‐oxo‐oxazolidine (PIO), amphetamine, and caffeine. The test battery included a difficult code‐tracking operation performed under forced speed conditions, a 40 minute monotonous test of clerical speed (simple arithmetic operations), reaction time, two tests of fine motor coordination, aiming accuracy (moving targets rotated at three different speed levels), and the Archimedes spiral. Pulse rate and systolic blood pressure were recorded before and after each session on the code‐tracking test. Two types of barbiturates (amobarbital and neopentylallylbarbituric acid) administered at two different dose levels (200 and 400 mg.) were given orally as hypnosedative premedication 150 minutes before the intake of the stimulant drugs. When compared with barbiturate plus placebo, PIO was found to differ from amphetamine and, to a slightly lesser degree, from caffeine in (1) having no antagonistic influence on residual pulse and blood pressure effects induced by barbiturate premedication, (2) having a less‐pronounced effect on variables related to visual motion aftereffect and finger‐hand dexterity, (3) being more effective in preserving a high level of operational skill against speed stress both in rotor aiming and a difficult learning variant of the code‐tracking test, and (4) being free of adverse effects from the subjective point of view.

Caffeine and Cerebral Blood Flow

“…Decrease in CBF is very likely to limit the delivery of the drugto the brain and reduce its potency. Caffeine has been shown to antagonize drugs like barbiturates and benzodiazepines (Dureman, 1962;Forrest et a!, 1972;Molde, 1975;Proctor and Greden, 1982). It is also known to exacerbate symptoms in hospitalized psychiatric patients (Goldstern et a!, 1969).…”

Magnesium pemoline: Stimulant effects on performance of fatigued subjects

“…Magnesium pemoline has been reported to enhance acquisition and retention of a conditioned avoidance response in the rat,S to improve attention in humans,lo and to facilitate a complex motor task. 2 These studies, combined with a report that the drug appeared to increase brain RNA synthesis, 4 suggested to investigators that it might be a pharmacological tool for the analysis of the relationship between RNA and learning. Other studies, however, have failed to confirm most of these findings.…”

Differential Effects of Two Amphetamine‐barbiturate Mixtures in Man

“…Other investigators who have studied the effects of barbiturates and amphetamine together on performances in man have reported predominantly antagonistic effects (Dureman, 1962), or predominantly amphetamine-like effects, that is improvements (Nash, 1962;Laties, 1961). As regards the subjects' feelings, the work of Nowlis & Nowlis -(1956), Lanzetta, Wendt, Langham &Haefner (1956) andLaties (1961) suggests that with amphetaminebarbiturate mixtures subjects were apt to feel expansive, elated and sociable.…”

“…As regards the subjects' feelings, the work of Nowlis & Nowlis -(1956), Lanzetta, Wendt, Langham &Haefner (1956) andLaties (1961) suggests that with amphetaminebarbiturate mixtures subjects were apt to feel expansive, elated and sociable. Dureman (1962) andNash (1962) have especially reported increased " alertness " with mixtures. These various investigators have used various compounds and dose-ratios, and the ingredient drugs and doses were not in all cases studied separately; the test methods and experimental conditions usually also differed.…”