Effects of orbitofrontal cortex lesions on cocaine self-administration

Previous research has implicated limbic and prefrontal cortical areas in the control of drug-seeking behavior. The present study examined the effects of orbitofrontal-cortex (OFC) lesions on acquisition, dose-dependence, within-session patterning, and reinstatement of cocaine self-administration. Rats received OFC or sham lesions before or after acquisition (0.3 mg/kg/injection, paired with a visual stimulus), then were tested with a range of doses (0, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3 and 1). Compared to controls, rats lesioned before acquisition acquired the behavior sooner, responded more at low doses, and responded more on the first day of extinction. Rats that were lesioned after acquisition showed an even larger increase in responding (approximately 250%) at the lowest dose, and they also showed increased timeout responding and drug "loading" at low doses. Pre-acquisition lesions were tested and found to have no effect on cocaine-induced reinstatement. In parallel experiments examining effects of pre-acquisition OFC lesions on food-reinforced responding, lesions did not alter acquisition, maintenance, or reinstatement, but accelerated the course of extinction. The increased cocaine self-administration seen in OFC-lesioned rats did not resemble the dysregulated drug intake observed in long-access models of addiction but might be due to impaired response inhibition or impaired tracking of the reward value of drug-related cues.