Behavioral and neural substrates of habit formation in rats intravenously self-administering nicotine.

ABSTRACT: Tobacco addiction involves a transition from occasional, voluntary smoking towards habitual behavior that becomes increasingly resistant to quitting. The development of smoking habits may reflect a loss of behavioral control that can be modeled in rats. This study investigated the behavioral and neural substrates of habit formation in rats exposed to either brief (10 days) or extended (47 days) intravenous (IV) nicotine self-administration training. Following training, the first cohort of rats were exposed to a nicotine devaluation treatment, which involved repeated pairings of IV nicotine with lithium injection. They were then tested for sensitivity of responding to nicotine devaluation under extinction and reinstatement conditions. The second cohort of rats received equivalent self-admin

SUBMITTER: Clemens KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4207338 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature