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Science 9 August 1963:
Vol. 141. no. 3580, pp. 516 - 517
DOI: 10.1126/science.141.3580.516
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Articles

Retrograde Amnesia from Conditioned Competing Responses

Donald J. Lewis 1 and Henry E. Adams 2

1 Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
2 Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

If electroconvulsive shock is given immediately after a learning trial, retrograde amnesia for that response occurs. The usual interpretation of such amnesia states that a neural engram, after a learning trial, requires a certain amount of time to consolidate, and electroconvulsive shock interferes with this consolidation, producing amnesia. Four studies are summarized which indicate that convulsive shock serves as an unconditioned stimulus producing a convulsive response, that takes precedence over other behavior, and part of which becomes conditioned to stimuli in the learning situation. The convulsive response competes with, and replaces, the previous response, resulting in the appearance of amnesia.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Time-Dependent Processes in Memory Storage.
J. L. McGaugh (1966)
Science 153, 1351-1358
   Abstract »    PDF »
Effects of Electroshock on Memory: Amnesia without Convulsions.
J. L. McGaugh and H. P. Alpern (1966)
Science 152, 665-666
   Abstract »    PDF »
Electroconvulsive Shock, Retroactive Amnesia, and the Single-Shock Method.
D. J. Leonard and A. Zavala (1964)
Science 146, 1073-1074
   Abstract »    PDF »
Amnesic and Punishing Effects of Electroconvulsive Shock.
J. L. McGaugh and M. C. Madsen (1964)
Science 144, 182-183
   Abstract »    PDF »


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