Amphetamine selectively enhances avoidance responding to a less salient stimulus in rats.
This preclinical study examined the psychological processes affected by amphetamine that contribute to human psychosis. Using a novel avoidance conditioning paradigm involving two conditioned stimuli (CS) with varied salience, we found that acute amphetamine (1.5 mg/kg, i.p.) selectively enhanced avoidance responding to a less salient stimulus, but not to a salient one. These findings suggest that elevated dopaminergic activity selectively enhances the attributions of motivational salience to a less salient stimulus, a process that may bear relevance to the development of human delusional thoughts.
Li
Ming
M
Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA. mli2@unl.edu
He
Wei
W
Munro
Rebecca
R
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004597:Electroshock / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D000661:Amphetamine