Abstract
Rats were fixed with chronically indwelling bipolar electrodes. Subsequently, they pressed for direct electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus. Then thresholds for the positive intracranial reinforcement were measured daily for 20 days while rats were under the influence of morphine injections (10 mg/Kg given 3.5 h prior to testing). Morphine reduced thresholds after the first few days of dosing and the reductions, once seen, did not wane with further dosing. Furthermore, thresholds were reduced by a 10-mg/kg dose of morphine following a regimen of dosing with morphine that produced physical dependence. It was concluded that morphine reduced thresholds for positive intracranial reinforcement and this capability was not changed by assimilation of relatively large quantities of morphine, that is, the effect did not show tolerance.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Adams, W. J., Lorens, S. A., & Mitchell, C. L. Morphine and lateral hypothalamic self-stimulation in the rat. Proceedings of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 1972, 140, 770–771.
Buckwalter, M. M., Gibson, W. E., Reid, L. D., & Porter, P. B. Combining positive and negative intracranial reinforcement. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1967, 64, 329–331.
Bush, H., Bush, M., Miller, A., & Reid, L. Chronic morphine administration and hypothalamic intracranial stimulation. Physiological Psychology, 1976, 4, 79–85.
Esposito, R., & Kornetsky, C. Morphine lowering of self-stimulation thresholds: Lack of tolerance with long-term administration. Science, 1977, 195, 189–191.
Farber, P. D., & Reid, L. D. Addictive agents and intracranial stimulation (ICS): Daily morphine and pressing for combinations of positive and negative ICS. Physiological Psychology, 1976, 4, 262–268.
Huston, J. P., & Mills, A. W. Threshold of reinforcing brain stimulation. Communication in Behavioral Biology, 1971, 5, 331–340.
Koob, G. F., Spector, N. H., & Meyerhoff, J. L. Effects of heroin on lever pressing for intracranial self-stimulation, food and water in the rat. Psychopharmacologia (Berlin), 1975, 42, 231–234.
Lorens, S. A., & Mitchell, C. L. Influence of morphine on lateral hypothalamic self-stimulation in the rat. Psychopharmacologia (Berlin), 1973, 38, 1–13.
Marcus, R., & Kornetsky, C. Negative and positive intracranial reinforcement thresholds: Effects of morphine. Psychopharmacologia (Berlin), 1974, 38, 1–13.
McAuliffe, W. E., & Gordon, R. A. A test of Lindesmith’s theory of addiction: The frequency of euphoria among ong-term addicts. American Journal of Sociology, 1974, 70, 780–795.
Olds, J. The central nervous system and reinforcement of behavior. American Psychologist, 1969, 24, 114–132.
Pert, A. Effects of opiates on rewarding and aversive brain stimulation in the rat. Proceedings of the 37th Annual Scientific Meeting Committee on Problems of Drug Dependence, 1975, 963-973.
Rossi, N. A., & Reid, L. D. Affective states associated with morphine injections. Physiological Psychology, 1976, 4, 269–274.
Stein, L. Reciprocal action of reward and punishment mechanisms. In R. G. Heath (Ed.), The role of pleasure in behavior. New York: Hoeber, 1964. Pp. 113–139.
Weeks, J. R. Experimental morphine addiction: Method for automatic intravenous injections in unrestrained rats. Science, 1962, 138, 143–144.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was supported by Grant DAOI049 from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, DHEW. The paper was derived from a Master’s thesis of the first author supervised by the second author. K. Kelley is now at Vanderbilt University.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kelley, K.L., Reid, L.D. Addictive agents and intracranial stimulation: Morphine and thresholds for positive intracranial reinforcement. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 10, 298–300 (1977). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329341
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329341