[Assessment of drug effects on memory by delayed discrimination responses in rats]

Delayed discrimination experiments were conducted to examine drug effects on memory in rats. Three kinds of experimental situations: a Y-maze, an operant chamber with two retractable levers, and an operant chamber with two fixed levers were used. A discriminative stimulus light either on the left or the right side of a stimulus panel was presented for a brief period in each situation. After a certain delay time following extinguishment of the light, a choice response to the previously lighted side was termed as a correct choice. Scopolamine at 0.015-0.06 mg/kg, s.c., decreased the correct choice ratio in trials with a delay time of 0 sec in the Y-maze situation and in trials with longer delay times in the operant chamber situations. Nicotine at 0.06-1 mg/kg, s.c., decreased the correct choice ratio in trials with a delay time of 0-4 sec in the Y-maze situation, a delay time of 4 sec in the retractable-lever operant chamber situation, and a delay time of 0.1 sec in the fixed-lever operant chamber situation. Using this delayed discrimination procedure, drug effects on the relationship between delay time and correct choice ratio were observed. From these results, the present procedure was found to be useful for the evaluation of drug effects on memory in rats.