Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Modified Single Prolonged Stress Reduces Cocaine Self-Administration During Acquisition Regardless Of Rearing Environment, Rebecca S. Hofford, Mark A. Prendergast, Michael T. Bardo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Until recently, there were few rodent models available to study the interaction of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and drug taking. Like PTSD, single prolonged stress (SPS) produces hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction and alters psychostimulant self-administration. Other stressors, such as isolation stress, also alter psychostimulant self-administration. However, it is currently unknown if isolation housing combined with SPS can alter the acquisition or maintenance of cocaine self-administration. The current study applied modified SPS (modSPS; two hours restraint immediately followed by cold swim stress) to rats raised in an isolation condition (Iso), enrichment condition (Enr), or standard condition (Std) to measure changes in …

A Pilot Study Of Loss Aversion For Drug And Non-Drug Commodities In Cocaine Users, Justin Charles Strickland, Joshua S. Beckmann, Craig R. Rush, William W. Stoops

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background—Numerous studies in behavioral economics have demonstrated that individuals are more sensitive to the prospect of a loss than a gain (i.e., loss aversion). Although loss aversion has been well described in “healthy” populations, little research exists in individuals with substance use disorders. This gap is notable considering the prominent role that choice and decision-making play in drug use. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate loss aversion in active cocaine users.

Methods—Current cocaine users (N = 38; 42% female) participated in this within-subjects laboratory pilot study. Subjects completed a battery of tasks designed to assess …

Intramuscular Route Of Administration Increases Potency In Eliciting Cocaine-Induced Behavioral Sensitization, Beth Ann Rice, Raza Tariq, Chana K. Akins

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Cocaine is the number one abused psychostimulant drug that reaches addiction criterion in the US. In animals, repeated administration of cocaine results in behavioral sensitization which is thought to represent adaptations in the mesolimbic dopamine neural circuitry, the reward pathway. Cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization is evident in rodents and quail when cocaine is administered intraperitoneally (IP).

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to investigate dose-dependent and temporal effects of acute and chronic intramuscular (IM) administration of cocaine in male quail.

Method: After habituation to the test chambers, male quail received an IM injection of saline, 3 or 10 …