Magnesium Pemoline: Enhancement of Learning and Memory of a Conditioned Avoidance Response

Abstract

Magnesium pemoline, a mild stimulant of the central nervous system, enhances the acquisition and retention of a conditioned avoidance response in rats. Methamphetamine and methylphenidate do not have this effect.

Magnesium pemoline: Effects on spontaneous activity, stimulus responsivity and food intake

“…The present study adds confirmation to the suggestions of other workers (e.g., Filby & Frank, 1968) that the enhanced performance of MgPe animals in active avoidance situations (Plotnikoff, 1966) is due to a drug-induced increase in spontaneous motor behavior, rather than due to a drug-induced improvement in central associative factors. Recently, in order to obviate this criticism, Plotnikoff (1967) gave post-learning administrations of MgPe and obtained enhanced retention of avoidance performance one and two weeks later.…”

Effect of magnesium pemoline on learning and memory of a one-way avoidance response

“…If magnesium pemoline generally facilitates learning, or particularly facilitates a voidance learning, it would be expected to facilitate a running as well as a pole-climbing avoidance response. The difficulty of the one-way avoidance response used in this study is similar to that of the pole-climbing avoidance response used by Plotnikoff (1966) .…”

“…It is the purpose of the study presented here to provide information on the generality of the results of Plotnikoff (1966). If magnesium pemoline generally facilitates learning, or particularly facilitates a voidance learning, it would be expected to facilitate a running as well as a pole-climbing avoidance response.…”

Magnesium pemoline: Different effects with different subject stocks

“…At the human level, the controversy has concerned both the existence and explanation of the effects of MP (Smith, 1967), while at the animal level, the problem has been primarily one of explanation. At the animal level, the explanation proposed by Plotnikoff (1966) was in terms of enhancement oflearning and memory, while other workers (Frey & Polidora, 1967;Beach & Kimble, 1967) have proposed that MP produced behavioral effects by reducing the tendency to freeze or, similarly, by energizing or stimulating the S. Between these general c1asses of explanation, it seems that a much stronger case can be made for MP having a stimulating Psychon. Sei., 1969, Vol.…”

“…This dose has been weil established (plotnikoff, 1966;Beach & Kimble, 1967) as being within the effective range for producing behavioral effects, and this was the only dose level used in a subsequent study by Frey & Polidora (1967) which showed clear behavioral effects on Sprague-Dawley rats.…”