title: Individual differences in the effect of novel environmental stimuli prior to amphetamine self-administration in rats (Rattus norvegicus).
abstract: These experiments determined whether individual differences in response to novelty subsequently predict the ability of novel stimuli, presented prior to the session, to decrease amphetamine self-administration. Using an inescapable locomotor test, the authors found that high-responder rats (Rattus norvegicus) showed a greater novelty-induced decrease in the acquisition of self-administration compared with low-responder rats. This effect was dose dependent and generalized to sucrose-reinforced responding. Using a free-choice place preference test, the authors found that high-novelty-seeking rats also showed a greater novelty-induced decrease in the acquisition of self-administration compared with low-novelty- seeking rats. Regardless of individual differences, novelty had little effect on amphetamine self-administration during the maintenance phase. These results suggest that exposure to novel environmental stimuli may reduce acquisition of drug-taking behavior, especially among high-novelty-seeking individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, KY 66506, USA. mecain@ksu.edu
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cain
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Dotson
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bardo
mesh_terms: D000662:Amphetamines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012646:Self Administration
chemical_list: D000662:Amphetamines