Traumatically Conditioned Responses acquired during Respiratory Paralysis

Abstract

THIS communication describes a new technique for conditioning human subjects using a single traumatic stimulus. The need for such a stimulus arises in the conditioned aversive therapy of such behaviours as alcoholism and compulsions. Vomiting has been used frequently as an aversive stimulus^1,2 but suffers from two disadvantages: the onset of vomiting is difficult to predict so that the moment at which the conditioned stimulus must be presented to ensure optimal conditioning is uncertain; also vomiting is accompanied by many undesirable side-effects. An alternative technique, which avoids these disadvantages, is provided by a temporary suppression of respiration, induced by succinylcholine chloride dihydrate (‘Scoline’).