title: Comparing single and cumulative dosing procedures in human triazolam discriminators.
abstract: This study evaluated a cumulative dosing procedure for drug discrimination with human participants. Four participants learned to discriminate triazolam (0.35 mg/70 kg) from placebo. A crossover design was used to compare the results under a single dosing procedure with results obtained under a cumulative dosing procedure. Under the single dosing procedure, a dose of triazolam (0, 0.05, 0.15, or 0.35 mg/70 kg) or secobarbital (0, 25, 75, or 175 mg/70 kg) was administered 45 min before assessment. Determining each dose-effect curve thus required four sessions. Under the cumulative dosing procedure, four doses of triazolam (0, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20 mg/70 kg) or secobarbital (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/70 kg) were administered approximately 55 min apart, producing a complete dose-effect curve in one four-trial session. Regardless of procedure, triazolam and secobarbital produced discriminative stimulus and self-reported effects similar to previous single dosing studies in humans. Shifts to the right in cumulative dose-effect curves compared to single dose-effect curves occurred on several self-report measures. When qualitative stimulus functions rather than quantitative functions are of interest, application of cumulative dosing may increase efficiency in human drug discrimination.
authors.affiliation: University of Vermont, USA.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Bickel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D012107:Research Design; D012631:Secobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D012677:Sensation / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014229:Triazolam / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D014229:Triazolam; D012631:Secobarbital