The effect of sodium barbitone, alone and together with acth and amphetamine, on the behaviour of the rat in the multiple “T” maze

Rats which had been chronically treated with sodium barbitone showed an increased running time for a food reward in a multiple “T” maze compared with untreated animals. The daily food intake and body weight were also significantly greater in the barbiturate treated animals. ACTH partially antagonized these effects of barbitone although it did not significantly affect the maze running time of rats which had not been treated with the barbiturate. It is suggested that ACTH antagonizes sodium barbitone by acting on the central nervous system and not as a consequence of its action on the pituitary-adrenal axis. Amphetamine did not antagonize the effect of barbitone on maze behaviour.