[The assessment of the action of pharmacological agents based on a new computer program for analysing animal operant...

The new programme is developed for the experimental automatization and analysis of animal operant behavior in Skinner's box (Lafayette Instrument Co., USA) by means of the Apple 2e computer (USA). The fundamental of the programme is the division of the training procedure into different functional intervals. Operant behavior of rats is determined by diverse schedules of food and water reinforcement and electric shock. Rats were trained to response on schedules FR 20, FI 1, drug discrimination. Phenazepam (2 mg/kg) markedly decreases the number of responses on schedule FR 20. Phenazepam is a discriminable stimulus. The experimental results make it possible to use the programme for modelling various forms of operant behavior and analysing pharmacological properties of the well-known and new drugs.