EFFECTS OF LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF ENFLURANE ON PROBABILITY LEARNING

• Published in: British journal of anaesthesia : BJA Vol. 50; no. 12; pp. 1179 - 1183
• Main Authors: BENTIN, S., COLLINS, G.I., ADAM, N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.12.1978; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adult; Enflurane - administration & dosage; Enflurane - pharmacology; Humans; Male; Methyl Ethers - pharmacology; Probability Learning - drug effects; Thinking - drug effects; Visual Perception - drug effects
• ISSN: 0007-0912; 1471-6771
• DOI: 10.1093/bja/50.12.1179

The effects of controlled subanaesthetic concentrations of enflurane on learning behaviour and on ability to change previously developed decision strategies were studied in 10 male volunteers, using a probability learning task. Subjects were instructed to predict on each of 200 consecutive trials, whether a left or a right light would appear. The appearance of lights was pre-determined by a set relative frequency unknown to the subject. The relative frequency was automatically changed at the end of the first 100 trials, from 8/10 lights in the left side to 4/10. It was found that enflurane at subanaesthetic concentration of 0.25% (end-tidal) slowed the rate of learning, and increased the number of trials required for readjusting the prediction strategy to the changed situation.