Behavioral effects of chlorpromazine and diazepam combined with low-level microwaves.

Previous research findings on the interaction between drugs and microwave radiation were extended to chlorpromazine and to diazepam. The drugs were combined with a 1 mW/cm2 pulsed microwave field (2.8 GHz) and effects were measured on a fixed interval (FI 1) schedule of food reinforcement with rats. Dose-effect functions with and without sham irradiation were established for each drug. At effective doses chlorpromazine consistently decreased rate of responding and reduced with-interval response patterning. Low to moderate doses of diazepam produced little change or increases in response rate, and higher doses produced a decline in response rate. Response patterning within intervals was reduced by increasing doses of diazepam. The animals were exposed to the microwave field alone before test sessions combining the drugs with microwave radiation. Microwave exposure alone did not affect FI performance. Microwave radiation in combination with either drug did not produce any alterations in the dose-effect functions.