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Updated: Oct 3, 2026

A Conditioned Place Preference Protocol for Measuring Incubation of Craving in Rats
Published on: November 6, 2018
The dopamine antagonist, alpha-flupenthixol, interferes with naloxone-induced place aversion learning, but not with
1Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3C5.
Abstract:
Pretreatment with the dopamine antagonist alpha-flupenthixol (alpha-flu) interfered with the establishment of a naloxone-induced place aversion in two experiments. In Experiment 1, the potential of pretreatment with alpha-flu to interfere with the establishment of a naloxone-induced place aversion was evaluated in rats administered morphine (Group MN) or saline (Group SN) 24 h prior to the naloxone conditioning trial. Naloxone-precipitated withdrawal from morphine administered 24 h prior to the trial produced a stronger place aversion than produced by naloxone alone. The neuroleptic, alpha-flu, attenuated the naloxone-induced place aversion, but did not selectively interfere with the place aversion produced by acute opiate dependence. Experiment 2 replicated demonstration of interference with naloxone-place aversion learning by neuroleptic pretreatment with the inclusion of saline controls. These results suggest that dopamine modulates either the aversive motivational properties of naloxone or learning, even in opiate naïve rats.
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