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The Effects of Meprobamate on Perception

II. The Visual After-Image

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2018

C. G. Costello
C. G. Costello*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry (Maudsley Hospital), University of London
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Extract

There is no discussion in Stevens' (16) or Osgood's (14) textbooks of experimental psychology of the contribution of cortical functions to the production of visual after-images. Woodworth (19) presents a theory of after-images involving the cortex in the first edition of his book. It is not repeated in the second edition. There is, however, a large number of reported studies indicating the importance of cortical functions in the production of after-images (e.g. 1, 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17). In view of these studies it was decided to use the afterimage in a further attempt to verify or disprove the drug action hypothesis advanced by Eysenck in a previous paper (2). This hypothesis stated that stimulant drugs increased excitatory potential and decreased inhibitory potential, while depressant drugs decreased excitatory potential and increased inhibitory potential.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Journal of Mental Science , Volume 106 , Issue 442 , January 1960 , pp. 326 - 330
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1960 

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References

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