The effects of social learning on the acquisition of cocaine self-administration

Abstract

Background-Social learning models of substance use propose that drug-use behaviors are learned by observing and mimicking the behavior of others. The aim of this study was to examine the acquisition of cocaine self-administration in three groups of experimentally naïve rats: rats that were tested in isolation, rats that were tested in the presence of another rat that had access to cocaine and had previously been trained to self-administer cocaine, and rats that were tested in the presence of another rat that did not have access to cocaine.Methods-Male rats were reared in isolated or pair-housed conditions and implanted with intravenous catheters. Pair-housed rats were then assigned to drug-experienced or drug-naïve conditions. In the drug-experienced condition, one rat of each pair was trained to self-administer cocaine in isolation before the reintroduction of its partner. In the drug-naïve condition, one rat of each pair did not have access to cocaine for the duration of the study. For each group, the acquisition of cocaine self-administration was measured over 15 days in rats with access to cocaine but no prior operant training.Results-Rats tested with a drug-experienced partner were faster to acquire cocaine selfadministration and emitted more active lever presses than rats tested with a cocaine-naïve partner. Data for the isolated control group fell between the other two groups on these measures.Conclusion-These data indicate that the acquisition of cocaine self-administration can either be facilitated or inhibited by social contact. Collectively, these results support a social-learning model of substance use.

Peer presence and familiarity as key factors to reduce cocaine intake in both rats and humans: an effect mediated by the subthalamic nucleus

“…The results observed in the presence of a peer also consuming cocaine do not support this hypothesis either. It is interesting to note that this result is the opposite to that previously reported showing increased cocaine intake when both rats were acquiring selfadministration simultaneously 29 . The discrepancy might be due to the fact that, in our experiments, the acquisition of drug self-administration was done when rats were alone in the self-administration chamber and the presence of the peer self-administering was only tested after acquisition.…”

Social modulation of drug use and drug addiction

“…Similarly, rats allowed to interact through a grid during acquisition of cocaine self-administration take more cocaine if both have access to cocaine than if only one rat has access to it (Smith, 2012;Peitz et al, 2013). In the same procedure, rats tested with a drug-experienced partner acquire cocaine selfadministration faster and emit more active lever presses than rats tested with a cocaine-naïve partner (Smith et al, 2014). Prairie vole drink more alcohol when it is facing the congener on the other side of a mesh-divider than when placed on the other side of the cage (Anacker et al, 2012).…”