Gilbert S. Ross

A series of experiments is reported in which two monkeys emitted complex response patterns, not specified by the experimental program, during the DRL component of a multiple schedule. Administration of sodium pentobarbital and dl-amphetamine, drugs which disrupted the DRL performance, were also observed to suppress these collateral responses. Sequences of these collateral responses appear to mediate, at least in part, the timing process required for reinforced performance on the DRL schedule.

In 9 patients, aged 11 to 28 years, minor head injury triggered an amnesic attack grossly disproportionate to the degree of trauma. During these attacks, patients were unable to form new memories for 2 to 24 hours, had extensive retrograde amnesia, voiced repetitive queries and were disorientated for time, but were otherwise intact neurologically. We suggest that these episodes were attacks of transient global amnesia triggered by the mild blows to the head. We also suggest that they constitute a previously unrecognized variety of traumatic migraine.