Cocaine self-administration in rats: threshold procedures.
Cocaine self-administration provides a methodology allowing researchers to study changes in distinct aspects of drug-taking behavior that model behaviors observed in drug addicts. Traditionally, self-administration schedules were designed to independently study changes in drug-taking behaviors (e.g., rate of responding, reinforcing efficacy, etc.). The threshold self-administration procedure was developed to measure two distinct dependent measures within the same experimental session that are important in the study of drug addiction: the maximal price an animal expends to self-administer cocaine and an animal's preferred level of cocaine consumption when available at a low behavioral cost.
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Erik B
EB
Oleson
David C S
DC
Roberts
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012646:Self Administration / Q000379:methods; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
D003042:Cocaine