Kamin blocking is not disrupted by amphetamine in human subjects.

Abstract

The effect of oral amphetamine administration on the Kamin-blocking effect in healthy volunteer subjects was investigated. Against predictions, Kamin blocking was not disrupted by either a high or low oral dose of D-amphetamine under conditions which have, in previous studies, led to disruption of a related learning phenomenon (latent inhibition). This lack of effect of amphetamine administration upon Kamin blocking weakens hypotheses that this cognitive process is mediated by the same changes in dopaminergic activity which affect latent inhibition. Currently, the only data which show strong comparative associations between Kamin blocking and latent inhibition are when they are applied to schizophrenic populations. These results may suggest that Kamin blocking and latent inhibition may be measuring different aspects of schizophrenic cognitive dysfunction.