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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
10:28
Assessment of Cocaine-induced Behavioral Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice
Published on: February 18, 2016
Stimulus-response learning in long-term cocaine users: acquired equivalence and probabilistic category learning
Nehal P Vadhan1, Catherine E Myers, Eric Rubin
1Columbia University, New York, NY 10027-6902, USA. npv2101@columbia.edu
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|November 3, 2007
Summary
Active cocaine users showed impaired stimulus-response learning, particularly when learning new discriminations under conflicting demands. However, their ability to generalize previously acquired learning remained intact, suggesting specific cognitive deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Stimulus-response (S-R) learning is crucial for adapting behavior.
- Long-term cocaine use is associated with neurobiological changes, potentially affecting cognitive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate S-R learning capabilities in individuals with active cocaine dependence.
- To compare learning performance between cocaine users and non-drug-using controls.
Main Methods:
- Employed two computerized learning tasks: Acquired Equivalence and Weather Prediction.
- Participants included 22 cocaine-dependent individuals and 21 healthy controls matched for age and education.
Main Results:
- Cocaine users exhibited significantly more errors in learning new discriminations on the Acquired Equivalence task.
- No significant group differences were observed in generalization on the Acquired Equivalence task or on the Weather Prediction task.
Conclusions:
- Cocaine users' ability to learn new stimulus discriminations under conflicting demands is impaired.
- Generalization of learned information appears preserved in cocaine users, indicating a specific learning deficit.
- Findings may relate to altered dopamine transmission in the basal ganglia.
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