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Related Experiment Videos

Drug discrimination and generalization in pigeons.

M R Leberer, S C Fowler

    Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
    |November 1, 1977
    PubMed
    Summary

    Pigeons learned to associate drug states with specific responses. This operant conditioning method effectively identified how drugs like morphine and cocaine alter behavior, offering a sensitive tool for drug research.

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    Area of Science:

    • Behavioral pharmacology
    • Operant conditioning
    • Neuroscience

    Background:

    • Drug states can serve as discriminative stimuli.
    • Operant conditioning is a powerful tool for studying drug effects.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To train pigeons to discriminate between three drug conditions: d-amphetamine, pentobarbital, and saline.
    • To investigate the generalization of stimulus properties of other drugs (cocaine, morphine, methocarbamol) using this established discrimination.

    Main Methods:

    • A three-key operant conditioning chamber was used with six pigeons.
    • Pigeons were trained to associate specific response keys with d-amphetamine (2 mg/kg), pentobarbital (5 mg/kg), or saline treatments.
    • Generalization gradients were assessed for various drug doses.

    Main Results:

    • Pigeons achieved over 90% accuracy in discriminating between drug and saline conditions after 20 sessions.
    • Morphine administration led to responding associated with the pentobarbital key.
    • Cocaine administration resulted in responding associated with the d-amphetamine key.
    • Methocarbamol produced responding similar to saline.

    Conclusions:

    • A three-key operant discrimination procedure in pigeons is a sensitive method for assessing the stimulus properties of drugs.
    • This model effectively differentiates the behavioral effects of various psychoactive substances at low doses.

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