Cortical Dopaminergic Involvement in Cocaine Reinforcement

Neuronal systems involved in the initiation of cocaine reinforcement were investigated by identifying brain sites where direct application of the drug was reinforcing. This was accomplished by allowing rats to self-administer picomolar concentrations of cocaine into discrete brain regions. The media...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1983-08, Vol.221 (4612), p.773-775
Main Authors: Goeders, Nick E., Smith, James E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Behavioral neuroscience
Biological and medical sciences
Brain Mapping
Catecholamines
Catheterization
Cerebral Cortex - drug effects
Cerebral Cortex - physiology
Cerebrospinal fluid
Cocaine
Cocaine - pharmacology
Dopamine - physiology
Drug addictions
Male
Medical sciences
Microinjections
Nucleus accumbens
Nucleus Accumbens - physiology
Physiological aspects
Prefrontal cortex
Rats
Receptors
Self Administration
Sulpiride - pharmacology
Toxicology
Ventral tegmental area
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Summary:Neuronal systems involved in the initiation of cocaine reinforcement were investigated by identifying brain sites where direct application of the drug was reinforcing. This was accomplished by allowing rats to self-administer picomolar concentrations of cocaine into discrete brain regions. The medial prefrontal cortex supported self-administration, while the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area did not. Self-administration could be attenuated by including equimolar concentrations of the dopaminergic D$_{2}$-receptor antagonist sulpiride in the microinjection system. These results imply that cocaine reinforcement is mediated in part through a direct action on mesocortical dopaminergic receptors.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.6879176