Music-induced context preference following cocaine conditioning in rats.

Abstract

Traditional models of drug-seeking behavior have shown that exposure to associated environmental cues can trigger relapse. These learned associations take place during repeated drug administration, resulting in conditioned reinforcement. Although considerable investigation has occurred regarding simple conditioned stimuli, less is known about complex environmental cues, particularly those that may be salient in human addiction. Recent studies indicate that music can serve as a contextual conditioned stimulus in rats and influence drug-seeking behavior during abstinence. The purpose of the present study was to further assess the effectiveness of music as a conditioned stimulus in rats, to determine rats’ preferences for two contrasting pieces of music, and to determine rats’ preferences for music versus silence. To this end, we created an apparatus that gave instrumental control of musical choice (Miles Davis vs. Beethoven) to the rats themselves. After determining baseline musical preference, animals were conditioned with cocaine (10 mg/kg) to the music they initially preferred least, with alternating conditioning sessions pairing saline with the music preferred most. The animals were subsequently tested in a drug-free state to determine what effect this conditioning had on musical preference. The results indicate that music serves as an effective contextual conditioned stimulus, significantly increasing both musical preference and locomotor activity after repeated cocaine conditioning. Furthermore, we found that rats initially favor silence over music, but that this preference can be altered as a result of cocaine-paired conditioning. These findings demonstrate that, after repeated association with reward (cocaine), music can engender a conditioned context preference in rats; these findings are consistent with other evidence showing that musical contextual cues can reinstate drug-seeking behavior in rats.

18-Methoxycoronaridine blocks context-induced reinstatement following cocaine self-administration in rats

“…To mimic the intricate psychological processes that occur during human drug experiences, we utilized a complex contextual cue to assess associative learning processes that occur during craving. Complementing previous work (Polston and Glick, 2011; Polston et al, 2011), the present findings further support the notion that rats have the capacity to distinguish complex musical passages, and suggest that rats could be used in other preclinical models involving musical interventions.…”

“…It could be argued that we should have employed a CS- paired with a different musical selection in order to test the specificity of our music-induced reinstatement. However, in previous investigations we have paired both the Miles Davis song used here, and Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” with saline, and have never seen a behavioral or neurochemical effect (Polston and Glick, 2011; Polston et al, 2011). It is also possible that our results could have been influenced by the fact that we used female rats for this investigation.…”

“…With this aim in mind, our laboratory has recently shown that after repeated pairings between music and methamphetamine, music alone can produce significant increases in locomotor activity and extracellular dopamine release in both the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and NAc in rats (Polston et al, 2011). In a subsequent study we showed that rats demonstrate preferences between musical selections by Miles Davis and Beethoven, and that these preferences can be altered after cocaine-paired conditioning (Polston and Glick, 2011). Taken together, these reports indicate that music can serve as an effective contextual CS in rats.…”

Conditioned place preference and aversion for music in a virtual reality environment

“…This is the first demonstration of CPP in humans that measured actual time spent in either context in a free choice procedure. In rats, while music can be used as a conditioned stimulus to establish cocaine-induced CPP, music alone does not appear to induce CPP (Polston & Glick, 2011). Thus, humans may be unique it their propensity to find music to be rewarding.…”

“…Concerning the stimuli used to establish CPP or CPA, laboratory animal research has shown that sound and music can be used to enhance the rewarding effect of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; Feduccia & Duvauchelle, 2008), as well as serving as conditioned stimuli to induce cocaine-induced CPP (Polston & Glick, 2011). Therefore, we decided to use music for the sake of simplicity and for practical reasons.…”