Nonhuman primate models of social behavior and cocaine abuse.
BACKGROUND
Although cocaine is often abused in social situations, very few animal studies examine the effects of cocaine in the context of social behavior.


OBJECTIVE
This review highlights studies investigating the behavioral effects of cocaine in the context of social housing conditions using nonhuman primates. In addition, this review presents recent findings examining the effects of self-administering cocaine on social behavior and the effects of manipulations hypothesized to be stressful or enriching on the interactions between cocaine reinforcement and social rank. The following dependent variables are examined: (1) cocaine-induced changes in social behavior and (2) cocaine self-administration in cynomolgus monkeys of varying social ranks. The independent variables examined include several environmental and pharmacological manipulations.


CONCLUSIONS
The studies reviewed here indicate that several variables can differentially affect cocaine self-administration when studied in a social context, rather than in individually housed animals. These variables include the social rank and sex of the individual, drug history, the nature of the "fear"-inducing manipulation, and the reliability of cortisol as an appropriate measure of "stress." While the inclusion of socially housed animals necessitates larger sample sizes, animal models incorporating social behavior are more homologous to the human condition and should be implemented when possible.
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 546 NRC, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1084, USA. mnader@wakehealth.edu
Michael A
MA
Nader
Paul W
PW
Czoty
Susan H
SH
Nader
Drake
D
Morgan
D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D011323:Primates; D012646:Self Administration; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D013045:Species Specificity; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology
D003042:Cocaine