KAMIN BLOCKING IS NOT DISRUPTED BY AMPHETAMINE IN HUMAN-SUBJECTS

The effect of oral amphetamine administration on the Kamin-blocking ef fect in healthy volunteer subjects was investigated. Against predictio ns, Kamin blocking was not disrupted by either a high or low oral dose of D-amphetamine under conditions which have, in previous studies, le d 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. Curr ently, the only data which show strong comparative associations betwee n Kamin blocking and latent inhibition are when they are applied to sc hizophrenic populations. These results may suggest that Kamin blocking and latent inhibition may be measuring different aspects of schizophr enic cognitive dysfunction.