In this study, an operant conditioning and extinction technique is used to compare the effects of various so-called tranquilizing agents. In addition, a method is presented for the preparation of 2-ethyl-2-(3-methyl)-butylrnalondiamide. The statistical analysis of the data obtained is supported by observations which indicate that some of the effects of these drugs can be ascribed to secondary or side-effects.
HE TRANQUILIZING drugs comprise one of the Tareas of recent interest in the field of pharmacology. A considerable amount of experimentation and speculation has been undertaken in order to attempt to discover new compounds of this type and also to provide a basis for the understanding of the mode of action of these drugs. However, little progress has been reported towards developing a unique test to determine the value of these compounds as regards their ability to alter behavior. The reason may be that tranquilizing drugs, like most other drugs, have potential, actual, primary, and/or secondary effects manifested as ataxia, depression, anorexia, ptosis of the eyelids, flaccid paralysis, and the like. These latter points constitute an important aspect in the development of tranquilizers and the effects of these drugs on animal behavior. Equally important is the aspect of chemical structure-activity relationships. Indeed, a large number of tranquilizers used therapeutically were the result of investigation in this area. With these effects in mind, this problem was designed and undertaken in an effort to contrihute further to this area.
It was felt that one approach in determining whether or not the actual, potential, primary, and/or secondary effects of tranquilizers and other centrally active drugs contributed to overall behavior was to compare the same drugs at the same dose levels using two different ex- perimental techniques. Specifically, it was felt that the results obtained by the application of operant conditioning techniques would not only provide information based on its own merits Rewived November 5 . 1960. from the School of Pharmacv. _ I