Intake-dependent effects of cocaine self-administration on impulsive choice in a delay discounting task.

ABSTRACT: Cocaine use is associated with high levels of impulsive choice (greater discounting of delayed rewards) in humans, but the cause/effect relationships between cocaine use and impulsive choice are not fully understood. In previous work, we found that both experimenter- and self-administration of fixed quantities of cocaine caused lasting increases in impulsive choice in rats. The present study extended these findings by taking into account baseline impulsive choice prior to self-administration and by allowing rats free access to cocaine. Male Long-Evans rats were trained in a delay discounting task in which they made discrete-trial choices between small immediate and large delayed food rewards. Half of the rats were then implanted with intravenous catheters and, following recovery, allowed t

SUBMITTER: Mitchell MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4107092 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature