Individual differences in cocaine's locomotor activating effects predicts reward-directed behavior

Humans exhibit marked individual differences in susceptibility to develop drug dependence. Addiction-like behaviors have been modeled in rodents as well with similar individual variability in the development of addiction-like behaviors. One potential mechanism that could differentiate addiction-vulnerable from addiction-resistant individuals is sensitivity to reward-paired cues. Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) is a paradigm that assesses the extent to which reward cues can initiate previously unpaired instrumental responding for a common reward. To examine the potential that sensitivity to reward-paired cues is a mechanism differentiating individuals with a propensity to develop addiction-like behaviors, we used a rodent model known to differ in initial responsiveness to cocaine as well as in behaviors implicated in ‘addiction-vulnerability’. We hypothesize that rodents displaying the ‘addiction-vulnerable’ phenotype will initiate instrumental responding to a greater degree when presented with cues associated with reward than their counterparts.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Venheim, Emily R.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Gulley, Joshua M.

• cocaine
• individual differences
• addiction

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2011 Emily R. Venheim

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/24033

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/24033