Intracerebral self-administration of amphetamine by rhesus monkeys

Four rhesus monkeys received intracranial implantation of cannulae aimed at the orbitofrontal cortex. Electrical intracranial self-stimulation was obtained readily from insulated electrodes placed temporarily into the orbitofrontal cortex via the outer guide tubes. Subsequently, each subject acquired a panel press operant response to deliver 0.05 microliter of D-amphetamine (10-6 M) into the orbitofrontal cortex via an inner cannula. The rate of panel pressing increased over several daily test sessions and extinguished after substitution of the vehicle solution. One animal responded readily on a fixed ratio-10 schedule. Control injections into the nucleus accumbens and lateral ventricles failed to maintain self-administration behavior.