Conditioned reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior with a discrete compound stimulus classically conditioned with intravenous cocaine

Behav Neurosci. 2001 Oct;115(5):1086-92. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.115.5.1086.

Abstract

The present study investigated the ability of a light and tone (LT) compound stimulus paired with cocaine infusions to reinstate cocaine-seeking behavior. Rats were trained to self-administer cocaine in the presence or absence of the LT during daily 3-hr sessions (maintenance). During Maintenance Days 5 and 10, rats underwent classical conditioning, whereby passive cocaine infusions were paired with either short-delayed, random, or no presentations of an LT. After extinction sessions, rats underwent test sessions in which the LT was presented in a noncontingent or response-contingent manner to measure conditioned cocaine-seeking behavior. The results demonstrated that response-contingent LT presentations significantly increased cocaine-seeking behavior and that the LT trained in a classical conditioning format transferred to an operant secondary reinforcer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Association Learning*
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / psychology*
  • Conditioning, Classical*
  • Conditioning, Operant
  • Extinction, Psychological
  • Male
  • Mental Recall
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Self Administration / psychology
  • Substance Abuse, Intravenous / psychology*
  • Transfer, Psychology