Choice between variable and fixed cocaine injections in male rhesus monkeys

The schedule of drug availability may enhance choice of a drug. In non-human subjects, reinforcers are chosen more often when available under variable schedules of reinforcement relative to fixed schedules.

To determine whether variable-drug access is an important determinant of cocaine choice by manipulating the schedule, drug dose, and combination of schedule + dose.

Four male rhesus monkeys chose between cocaine doses (0.025-0.4 mg/kg/injection). In control conditions, the schedule and dose of each drug delivery were fixed. In other conditions, the reinforcement schedule (i.e., variable-ratio schedule), dose of each cocaine delivery, or both were variable on one lever while all aspects on the other lever remained fixed.

When cocaine dose was equal on average (0.1 mg/kg/injection), 2 of 4 subjects chose cocaine associated with the variable schedule more than the fixed schedule. All subjects chose the variable dose that was equal on average to the fixed dose, and this difference was statistically significant. Three of 4 subjects chose cocaine associated with the variable combination over the fixed option (when the dose was equal on average). During dose-response determinations (when dose on the variable and fixed options were not equal), making the schedule, dose, or both variable generally did not alter cocaine's potency as a reinforcer.

While many factors contribute to drug choice, unpredictable drug access is a feature that may be common in the natural environment and could play a key role in the allocation of behavior to drug alternatives by patients with substance-use disorders.