The modification of schizophrenic performance by drugs and by positive reinforcement
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Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to determine whether
positive reinforcement, chlorpromazine and secobarbital alter
the ability of chronic schizophrenics to maintain sustained
attention and whether these affect their psychomotor functioning.
Eight male, chronic schizophrenic patients, with an age
range of 25-50 and in good physical health, served as the
subjects. All subjects had been hospitalized continuously
for at least three years. Medication was discontinued for
all subjects two months before the study started. In the
course of the study, each subject was tested twice under all
of the following conditions: no-drug, placebo, chlorpromazine
100 mg, chlorpromazine 200 mg, secobarbital 100 mg, secobarbital
200 mg. The drugs were given once weekly in single doses.
A testing day consisted of four sessions: 1/2, 1 1/2, 2 1/2,
and 3 1/2 hours post-medication. The different drug conditions
were administered according to a modified Latin Square design
with each active drug following each other active drug an equal
number of times. Half of the trials in each session were reinforced
by candy and cigarettes and the other half were not.
Two tests were employed: The Continuous Performance Test
(CPT), and the Subject Paced Test (SPT). On the CPT, a test
of sustained attention, a subject is required to respond, by
pulling a lever, to one of twelve letters which are randomly
exposed at the rate of 1.10 sec. for a period of .10 second.[TRUNCATED]
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University
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