Effects of haloperidol on cue-induced autonomic and behavioral indices of heroin reward and motivation.
BACKGROUND
Most theoretical conceptions of motivation presume an internal state of sympathetic nervous system activation that precedes and accompanies goal-seeking behavior.


OBJECTIVE
The present study investigates the animals' physiological and behavioral response to presentation of environmental cues predictive of availability (S+) or non-availability (S-) of heroin in the goal box of a straight-arm alley.


METHODS
Animals were trained to discriminate between two olfactory cues, one predictive of the delivery of i.v. heroin (0.1 mg/kg) upon the rat's entry into the goal box of the runway (the S+) and another cue (the S-) predictive of i.v. saline upon goal-box entry. Once discriminative performance had stabilized, animals were challenged with each of four haloperidol treatments in a counterbalanced manner (0.0, 0.075, 0.15, 0.3 mg/kg i.p.). Run times and heart rates (measured via radiotelemetry) served as the dependent variables on every trial.


RESULTS
Both behavioral and physiological measures of motivation responded differentially to S+ and S- cues. Haloperidol had no effect during or immediately following S- trials, nor prior to reinforcer delivery on S+ trials. However, the behavioral and physiological consequences of heroin delivery during dopamine receptor antagonism were reliable - animals ran more slowly and showed less activation (lower heart rates) on the first S+ trial following a heroin + haloperidol experience.


CONCLUSIONS
The current data demonstrate that physiological and behavioral indices of cue-induced motivation remained intact during haloperidol challenge, while the reinforcing consequences of heroin appear to have been attenuated by dopamine receptor antagonism.
Ettenberg
Aaron
A
Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA, USA. a.ettenberg@psych.ucsb.edu.
McFarland
Krista
K
Department of Physiology, Medical University of South Carolina, 167 Ashley Avenue, Suite 607, P.O. Box 250677, Charleston, SC 29425, USA, USA.
D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D003463:Cues; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003932:Heroin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012201:Reward
D003932:Heroin; D006220:Haloperidol