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Updated: Jul 28, 2026
07:51
A Protocol for Measuring Cue Reactivity in a Rat Model of Cocaine Use Disorder
Published on: June 18, 2018
Changes concurrent with initiation of abstinence from cocaine abuse
S K Avants1, A Margolin, T R Kosten
1Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
|November 1, 1993
Summary
Initiating cocaine abstinence improved behavior, reduced depression, and enhanced self-perception. While craving decreased, physiological reactivity to drug cues did not change significantly.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Cocaine dependence is a significant public health issue.
- Understanding changes during abstinence is crucial for effective treatment.
- Treatment outcomes require multidimensional assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore changes in behavior, affect, cognition, and psychophysiology during cocaine abstinence.
- To evaluate treatment outcomes in patients undergoing psychopharmacotherapy for cocaine dependence.
- To identify factors associated with successful abstinence.
Main Methods:
- An 8-week outpatient psychopharmacotherapy trial.
- Nineteen patients with cocaine dependence were enrolled.
- Outcomes assessed included cocaine use, depression, self-schemas, and reactivity to drug cues.
Main Results:
- Eleven of thirteen completers achieved sustained abstinence.
- "Abstainers" showed reduced cocaine use, depression, and craving.
- Abstainers reported more positive self-representations and altered self-schemas, but no change in physiological reactivity.
Conclusions:
- Successful cocaine abstinence is associated with improvements in mood and self-perception.
- Psychological and behavioral changes occur alongside abstinence, but physiological responses may persist.
- Findings inform future research and treatment strategies for cocaine dependence.
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