Long-term analgesic effects of inescapable shock and learned helplessness

Science. 1979 Oct 5;206(4414):91-3. doi: 10.1126/science.573496.

Abstract

Although exposure to inescapable shocks induced analgesia in rats, the analgesia was not manifest 24 hours later. A brief reexposure to shock, however, restored the analgesia. This reexposure to shock had an analgesic effect only if the rats had been shocked 24 hours previously. Further, long-term analgesic effects depended on the controllability of the original shocks and not on shock exposure per se. Implications of these results for learned helplessness and stress-induced analgesia are discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Analgesia*
  • Animals
  • Avoidance Learning*
  • Electroshock*
  • Humans
  • Rats
  • Stress, Psychological / physiopathology*
  • Time Factors