Reinstatement of heroin-reinforced behavior following long-term extinction: implications for the treatment of relapse to drug taking.
The effect of non-contingent priming injections of heroin on drug-reinforced behavior following long-term extinction was examined. Male rats were trained to lever press for 100µg/kg/infusion of intravenous heroin during four 6h sessions per day. The drug-reinforced behavior was extinguished by daily reductions in dose followed by at least 12 sessions of saline self-administration. A single non-contingent priming injection of heroin (100µg/kg, i.v.) resulted in the reinstatement of the drug-reinforced behavior, even though extinction conditions remained. The results indicate that the drug-induced reinstatement of previously extinguished drug-reinforced behavior is possible even after long periods of extinction. The implications of the present findings for the treatment of relapse to drug abuse in humans are discussed.
Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1M8.
Y.
Y
Shaham
D.
D
Rodaros
J.
J
Stewart