Cocaine self-administration alters the relative effectiveness of multiple memory systems during extinction

Learn Mem. 2009 Apr 23;16(5):296-9. doi: 10.1101/lm.1253409. Print 2009 May.

Abstract

Rats were trained to run a straight-alley maze for an oral cocaine or sucrose vehicle solution reward, followed by either response or latent extinction training procedures that engage neuroanatomically dissociable "habit" and "cognitive" memory systems, respectively. In the response extinction condition, rats performed a runway approach response to an empty fluid well. In the latent extinction condition, rats were placed at the empty fluid well without performing a runway approach response. Rats trained with the sucrose solution displayed normal extinction behavior in both conditions. In contrast, rats trained with the cocaine solution showed normal response extinction but impaired latent extinction. The selective impairment of latent extinction indicates that oral cocaine self-administration alters the relative effectiveness of multiple memory systems during subsequent extinction training.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Cocaine / pharmacology*
  • Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Extinction, Psychological / drug effects*
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Memory / drug effects*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Long-Evans
  • Reaction Time / drug effects
  • Self Administration / methods
  • Sucrose / pharmacology
  • Sweetening Agents / pharmacology

Substances

  • Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors
  • Sweetening Agents
  • Sucrose
  • Cocaine