Abstract
Ten rats were fixed with two chronically indwelling bipolar electrodes, stimulation of one producing positive intracranial stimulation (P-ICS) and stimulation of the other producing aversive, or negative, intracranial stimulation (N-ICS). Subjects pressed a lever daily for P-ICS and for combinations of P-ICS and N-ICS. Following baseline measurements, five rats received daily injections of morphine sulfate (15 mg/kg, 4 h before testing) for 20 days while the other five received placebos. Press rates of the morphine subjects for P-ICS increased about 20% from baseline rates and from rates of rats under placebo some days after injections were begun, and these increases were then maintained throughout the days of injections. For the combined P-ICS and N-ICS, press rates of rats of morphine decreased with continued injections. Because of morphine’s differential effects on pressing for P-ICS and on pressing for combinations of P-ICS and N-ICS, it is suggested that morphine’s facilitatory effect on hypothalamic self-stimulation is not related to its analgesic properties.
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This research was supported by Grant DA 01049 from the National Institute of Drug Abuse and Bradley University’s Board of Research.
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Farber, P.D., Reid, L.D. Addictive agents and intracranial stimulation (ICS): Daily morphine and pressing for combinations of positive and negative ICS. Psychobiology 4, 262–268 (1976). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332867
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332867