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Published on: January 6, 2011
Extinction procedures abolish conditioned stimulus control but spare sensitized responding to amphetamine
1Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd, Montreal, Canada, H3G 1M8.
Behavioural Pharmacology
|February 1, 1991
Summary
Extinction training reversed environment-specific sensitization to amphetamine in rats. This suggests that previously expressed drug sensitization may be under inhibitory control before extinction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychopharmacology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Environment-specific sensitization can develop with repeated drug administration.
- Understanding the relationship between drug sensitization and conditioning is crucial for explaining drug-seeking behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of extinction on environment-specific sensitization to amphetamine.
- To explore the relationship between drug sensitization and conditioning.
Main Methods:
- Rats were administered d-amphetamine sulfate or saline in specific environments during a conditioning phase.
- Extinction training involved saline administration in all environments.
- Locomotor activity was measured to assess sensitization and conditioning.
Main Results:
- Environment-specific sensitization to amphetamine was observed after conditioning.
- Following extinction, sensitized responding to amphetamine was present in both paired and unpaired groups.
- The results suggest that sensitization in the unpaired group was under inhibitory control prior to extinction.
Conclusions:
- Extinction can alter the expression of previously established environment-specific sensitization.
- The findings indicate that drug sensitization may be subject to inhibitory control, which can be revealed through extinction procedures.
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