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.
Shaham
Y.
Y
Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1M8.
Rodaros
D.
D
Stewart
J.
J