The Beneficial Effects of Meprobamate on Delayed Response Performance in the Frontal Monkey

Abstract

Previous studies of antagonistic treatments on delayed response performance by frontal monkeys suffer from a logical flaw in that the treatments may also improve the performance of normal monkeys. In a previous study (Gross and Weiskrantz, 1961) we have shown that meprobamate is without effect on delayed response in normal monkeys, but it does severely depress their discrimination performance. In the current study meprobamate is shown to produce a significant improvement in delayed response in each of three frontal monkeys. Nembutal is also effective. Various interpretations of the results are discussed, the view being favoured that the frontal monkey suffers from an excessive and inappropriately ordered intake of sensory information.