Behavioral effects of triazolam and pregnanolone combinations: reinforcing and sedative-motor effects in female rhesus monkeys.

Introduction: Benzodiazepines (BZs) are prescribed as anxiolytics, but their use is limited by side effects including abuse liability and daytime drowsiness. Neuroactive steroids are compounds that, like BZs, modulate the effects of GABA at the GABA receptor. In a previous study, combinations of the BZ triazolam and neuroactive steroid pregnanolone produced supra-additive (i.

Resurgence during transitions from variable- to fixed-interval schedules.

The effects of local periods of extinction on resurgence following transitions from variable-interval (VI) to fixed-interval (FI) schedules were studied using four pigeons exposed to a within-session resurgence procedure. Each session was divided into a Training (T) Alternative-Reinforcement (AR), and Resurgence Test (RT) phase. During the T phase, key pecking was reinforced under a VI 60-s schedule on one key.

Challenges to Conducting Contingency Management Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: Practice Recommendations for Clinicians.

A growing empirical literature supports contingency management (CM) as an efficacious treatment for substance use disorders, especially when reinforcers are immediate, frequent, and of sufficient magnitude on escalating schedules. However, in real world-practice, CM is often conducted in ways that are inconsistent with research protocols. One reason for these inconsistencies may be due to pragmatic challenges inherent in conducting CM.

Does DRO type matter?: Cycle versus resetting contingencies in eliminating responding.

Following lever-press training on variable-interval 30-s schedules, rats were exposed to three types of schedules designed to eliminate lever pressing. The first two were variations on what is called a differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior (DRO, "zero rate", or [target response] omission schedule) schedule. Under both variations, reinforcers were scheduled to occur in different conditions after either fixed or variable inter-reinforcer intervals (IRIs).

Early extinction effects following intermittent reinforcement: Little evidence of extinction bursts.

The occurrence of extinction bursts-transient increases in response rate in excess of those observed in baseline during the period immediately following discontinuation of reinforcement of a response-was examined. In Experiment 1, key pecking of pigeons was reinforced according to a multiple schedule in which a variable-ratio schedule alternated with an interval schedule in which the reinforcers were yoked to the preceding variable-ratio component. In Experiments 2 and 3, rats were screened such that the lever-press response rates of different rats maintained by variable-interval schedules were either relatively high or relatively low.

Changes in the elimination and resurgence of alcohol-maintained behavior in rats and the effects of naltrexone.

Resurgence may be a mechanism of relapse in alcohol use disorder patients upon discharge from treatment as part of an abuse-treatment-relapse cycle. Adjunctive pharmacotherapies may be a means to facilitate behavioral treatments and block resurgence. Experiments were conducted using a model of alcohol self-administration to assess the repeatability of the elimination and resurgence of alcohol-maintained behavior and the effects of naltrexone.

Evaluation of the anti-conflict, reinforcing, and sedative effects of YT-III-31, a ligand functionally selective for α3 subunit-containing GABA receptors.

Background: In recent years, pharmacological strategies have implicated α3 subunit-containing GABA (α3GABA) receptor subtypes in the anxiety-reducing effects of benzodiazepines, whereas transgenic mouse approaches have implicated α2 or α5 subunit-containing GABA receptors.

Aims: We investigated the role of α3GABA subtypes in benzodiazepine-induced behaviors by evaluating the anti-conflict, reinforcing, and sedative-motor effects of the novel compound YT-III-31, which has functional selectivity for α3GABA receptors.

Methods: Female and male rhesus monkeys were trained under a conflict procedure ( = 3), and a progressive-ratio schedule of reinforcement with midazolam as the training drug ( = 4).

GABA Receptor Subtypes and the Abuse-Related Effects of Ethanol in Rhesus Monkeys: Experiments with Selective Positive Allosteric Modulators.

Background: Previous studies have investigated α1GABA and α5GABA receptor mechanisms in the behavioral effects of ethanol (EtOH) in monkeys. However, genetic studies in humans and preclinical studies with mutant mice suggest a role for α2GABA and/or α3GABA receptors in the effects of EtOH. The development of novel positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) with functional selectivity (i.

Ketamine Tolerance in Sprague-Dawley Rats after Chronic Administration of Ketamine, Morphine, or Cocaine.

Ketamine is one of the most commonly used anesthetics in human and veterinary medicine, but its clinical effectiveness is often compromised due to tolerance to its anesthetic effects. Although ketamine tolerance has been demonstrated in a number of behavioral measures, no published work has investigated tolerance to ketamine's anesthetic effects other than duration of anesthesia. In addition, a reported practice in anesthesiology is to alter anesthetic doses for procedures when the patient has a history of drug abuse.