EFFECTS OF THREE STIMULANT ORUGS ON AUTOSHAPING ANO POSITIVE AUTOMAINTENANCE BASELlNES WITH RATS

Abstract

The behavioral effects of three stimulant drugs, cocaine hydrochloride, caffeine, and picrotoxin were evaluated on rats using a modified autoshaping, operant, and a positive automaintenance, classical, baseline procedure. Different doses of the drugs, logarithmically spaced, were injected intraperitoneally. The modified autoshaping, operant procedure was insensitive to all but one of the different doses of the drugs used. The positive automaintenance, classical procedure was differentially affected by drugs: in the cocaine group, an inverted U function was observed; in the caffeine group, a decreasing function; and in the picrotoxin group, an inverted U function was obtained. The use of the procedures in behavioral pharmacology is discussed.