Analysis of the Acquisition of Drug Discrimination Reveals Differences Between a High Versus Low Training Dose of $\pm$3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)
Abstract: Background. Studies of the discriminative stimulus effects
of the recreational drug, ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA), typically use a dose of 1.5 mg/kg during training. This dose
is relatively low compared to those used in other behavioral paradigms.
Purpose. The present study assessed the ability of this low dose of
MDMA and a higher dose of 3.0 mg/kg to support drug-discrimination
learning in rats. Procedures. Daily training sessions were preceded
by an injection of either MDMA (1.5 mg/kg or 3.0 mg/kg) or
saline. Injections alternated in a pseudorandom fashion for a total
of 63 sessions. Criteria for the acquisition of the MDMA/saline
discrimination were increased from 4 to 10 successive, and successful,
discriminations. As the acquisition criteria became more stringent, the
impact on the low dose discrimination was greater than the impact on
the high dose discrimination. Conclusions. These results suggest that
the drug discrimination produced by 1.5 mg/kg MDMA may be less
reliable than when a higher dose is employed, especially when the
number of training sessions is limited. The data further suggest that
3.0 mg/kg MDMA produced a robust discriminative stimulus effect
which may be better suited to experiments of this nature.
%0 Journal Article
%1 Webster_2016
%A Webster, Jeremy
%A Harper, David
%A Schenk, Susan
%D 2016
%E Rabie, Amgad
%I Ashdin Publishing
%J Journal of Drug and Alcohol Research
%K myown
%N 1
%P 1--6
%R 10.4303/jdar/235976
%T Analysis of the Acquisition of Drug Discrimination Reveals Differences Between a High Versus Low Training Dose of $\pm$3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)
%U https://doi.org/10.4303%2Fjdar%2F235976
%V 5
%X Abstract: Background. Studies of the discriminative stimulus effects
of the recreational drug, ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA), typically use a dose of 1.5 mg/kg during training. This dose
is relatively low compared to those used in other behavioral paradigms.
Purpose. The present study assessed the ability of this low dose of
MDMA and a higher dose of 3.0 mg/kg to support drug-discrimination
learning in rats. Procedures. Daily training sessions were preceded
by an injection of either MDMA (1.5 mg/kg or 3.0 mg/kg) or
saline. Injections alternated in a pseudorandom fashion for a total
of 63 sessions. Criteria for the acquisition of the MDMA/saline
discrimination were increased from 4 to 10 successive, and successful,
discriminations. As the acquisition criteria became more stringent, the
impact on the low dose discrimination was greater than the impact on
the high dose discrimination. Conclusions. These results suggest that
the drug discrimination produced by 1.5 mg/kg MDMA may be less
reliable than when a higher dose is employed, especially when the
number of training sessions is limited. The data further suggest that
3.0 mg/kg MDMA produced a robust discriminative stimulus effect
which may be better suited to experiments of this nature.
@article{Webster_2016,
abstract = {Abstract: Background. Studies of the discriminative stimulus effects
of the recreational drug, ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA), typically use a dose of 1.5 mg/kg during training. This dose
is relatively low compared to those used in other behavioral paradigms.
Purpose. The present study assessed the ability of this low dose of
MDMA and a higher dose of 3.0 mg/kg to support drug-discrimination
learning in rats. Procedures. Daily training sessions were preceded
by an injection of either MDMA (1.5 mg/kg or 3.0 mg/kg) or
saline. Injections alternated in a pseudorandom fashion for a total
of 63 sessions. Criteria for the acquisition of the MDMA/saline
discrimination were increased from 4 to 10 successive, and successful,
discriminations. As the acquisition criteria became more stringent, the
impact on the low dose discrimination was greater than the impact on
the high dose discrimination. Conclusions. These results suggest that
the drug discrimination produced by 1.5 mg/kg MDMA may be less
reliable than when a higher dose is employed, especially when the
number of training sessions is limited. The data further suggest that
3.0 mg/kg MDMA produced a robust discriminative stimulus effect
which may be better suited to experiments of this nature.},
added-at = {2023-10-19T10:59:55.000+0200},
author = {Webster, Jeremy and Harper, David and Schenk, Susan},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2ad375f2deffb249f9fb1f3b5aa017250/journalortho},
doi = {10.4303/jdar/235976},
editor = {Rabie, Amgad},
interhash = {0b29d63496a2e91c8f2e6c9f7548f9fe},
intrahash = {ad375f2deffb249f9fb1f3b5aa017250},
issn = {2090-8342},
journal = {Journal of Drug and Alcohol Research},
keywords = {myown},
language = {English},
month = {April},
number = 1,
pages = {1--6},
publisher = {Ashdin Publishing},
timestamp = {2023-10-19T10:59:55.000+0200},
title = {Analysis of the Acquisition of Drug Discrimination Reveals Differences Between a High Versus Low Training Dose of $\pm$3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ({MDMA})},
url = {https://doi.org/10.4303%2Fjdar%2F235976},
volume = 5,
year = 2016
}