Quantitative analysis of physostigmine-induced changes in behavior.

This paper reports the use of an RF capacitance field transducer and spectral analysis to examine the effects of the cholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine on the behavior of unrestrained rats. The technique is shown to permit simultaneous quantification of changes in a variety of motor behaviors. Physostigmine induced a dose-related increase in high-frequency movements and reduced low-frequency movements, but had no effect upon habituation of five to ten Hz movements which occurred with continuous exposure to the testing apparatus.