Dissociation of disinhibitory effects of scopolamine: strain and task factors

In 3 experiments it was observed that 3 strains of mice (A/J, DBA/2J and C57BL/6J) differing in activity exhibited comparable levels of spontaneous alternation, and that scopolamine differentially affected activity in the strains, but uniformly eliminated shock-induced suppression and spontaneous alternation behavior. Data are discussed in terms of the relationship between activity and spontaneous alternation. It was suggested that scopolamine exerts its effects on spontaneous alternation via the effects on acetylcholine activity, independent of any effects on general activity levels.