Piracetam facilitates retrieval but does not impair extinction of bar-pressing in rats.
Rats were trained on a continuously reinforced bar-press response for water reward. Seven days later they were retested for retention, with or without pretest injection of the nootropic drug, piracetam. Drug-treated animals had significantly shorter response latencies than saline-treated animals. The results are interpreted as a facilitation of retrieval processes after forgetting. The experiment was extended under extinction conditions and it was found that after three sessions there was a tendency to facilitate extinction when response latency is used as the extinction index. The clinical interest of a drug which facilitates the retrieval aspect of the memory process without impairing extinction is discussed.
D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D010889:Piracetam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011760:Pyrrolidinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D014868:Water Deprivation
D011760:Pyrrolidinones; D010889:Piracetam