title: Cocaine and food deprivation: effects on food-reinforced fixed-ratio performance in pigeons.
abstract: Key pecking by 6 pigeons was maintained by a fixed-ratio 30 schedule of food presentation while body weights were 80% of free-feeding weights. Acute administration of cocaine (0.3 to 13.0 mg/kg, i.m.) dose-dependently decreased response rates. Dose-effect curves were shifted to the right when 3 of the 6 pigeons were maintained at 70% of free-feeding weights and were shifted to the left when the other 3 pigeons were maintained at 90% of free-feeding weights. Then a dose of cocaine that initially decreased response rates by more than 95% of control rates was administered before each daily session. Comparable degrees of tolerance to these rate-decreasing effects developed in the two groups. The rate at which responding recovered was relatively rapid for pigeons in the 70% free-feeding-weight group and was slower for 2 of the 3 pigeons in the 90% free-feeding-weight group. When body weights were then increased from 70% to 80% or were decreased from 90% to 80% of free-feeding weight, performance was disrupted initially only for pigeons whose weight went from 70% to 80% of free feeding. In the present experiment the degree of deprivation may have indirectly influenced the degree of tolerance that developed to cocaine's response rate-decreasing effects because it directly influenced the dose chosen to be administered chronically. The degree of deprivation appeared to have a more direct influence on the rate at which tolerance developed.
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, USA.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Pitts
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Branch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005508:Food Deprivation; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine