The consequences of different "lapses" on relapse to heroin seeking in rats.
Although human studies have shown that a lapse, the first violation of abstinence, often induces resumption of drug taking, or relapse, it is not known what aspect of a lapse is critical to relapse or whether this phenomenon can be studied in other species. Rats were trained to self-administer heroin accompanied by a discrete light stimulus. After extinction, different groups experienced different "lapses." Twenty-four hours later, all groups received a test for relapse. It was found that a lapse during which heroin was self-administered, or was presented in close temporal contiguity with lever pressing, induced subsequent heroin seeking. Simple exposure to heroin, or to heroin-related stimuli, during the lapse had little effect on responding in the test for relapse.
Leri
Francesco
F
Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. fleri@uoguelph.ca
Stewart
Jane
J
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004597:Electroshock; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D003932:Heroin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012008:Recurrence; D012201:Reward; D012646:Self Administration / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
D003932:Heroin