The effect of morphine on fear extinction in rats

Rats were trained on an appetitive discretetrial discriminated-punishment task in which they learned to suppress responding when an intense flashing light predicting punishment was present and to respond rapidly on trials when the flashing light was absent. Once animals were performing discriminatively, 0.75, 3.0, or 6.0 mg/kg of morphine (base) was administered and a fear extinction session consisting of 60 nonshocked presentations of the flashing light was given. Two saline control groups, one that received fear extinction and one that did not, were also included in the experiment. On the day following fear extinction, all rats were tested in the undrugged state on the discriminated punishment problem, but without shock. The rats receiving 3.0 and 6.0 mg/kg of morphine before the fear extinction session were suppressed by the flashing light more than the saline extinction group or the 0.75 mg/kg morphine treatment group. Moreover, the two higher dose morphine groups were suppressed as readily as the saline group that received no fear extinction. These results are attributed to the antiemotionality effects of morphine.