Trait Impulsive Choice Predicts Resistance to Extinction and Propensity to Relapse to Cocaine Seeking: A Bidirectional Investigation

• Published in: Neuropsychopharmacology (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2012-05, Vol.37 (6), p.1377-1386
• Main Authors: BROOS, Nienke, DIERGAARDE, Leontien, SCHOFFELMEER, Anton Nm, PATTIJ, Tommy, DE VRIES, Taco J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abstinence; Addiction; Addictions; Addictive behaviors; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Behavior; Benzazepines - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Choice Behavior - drug effects; Cocaine; Cocaine - administration & dosage; Cocaine-Related Disorders - psychology; Conditioning, Operant - drug effects; Data processing; Dopamine Antagonists - pharmacology; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Drug dependence; Drug self-administration; Drug use; Extinction; Extinction, Psychological - drug effects; impulsive behavior; Impulsive Behavior - chemically induced; Impulsivity; Male; Medical sciences; Methylphenidate - pharmacology; Neuropharmacology; Neurosciences; Original; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Predictive Value of Tests; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Reinforcement; Reinforcement Schedule; Resistance to extinction; Reward; Risk Factors; Secondary Prevention; Self Administration; Statistics as Topic; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0893-133X; 1740-634X
• DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.323

Despite the strong association between impulsivity and addiction in humans, it is still a matter of debate whether impulsive choice predisposes to, or results from, drug dependence. Furthermore, it is unknown whether treating impulsivity can protect against relapse propensity. Therefore, this study explored the bidirectional relationship between impulsive choice and cocaine taking and seeking in rat behavioral models. In experiment 1, to determine whether impulsive choice predisposes to cocaine taking or seeking, rats were selected based on trait impulsivity in a delayed reward task and subsequently compared on various stages of cocaine self-administration (SA). To examine the consequence of cocaine intake on impulsive choice, impulsivity was monitored once a week throughout various stages of cocaine SA. To determine whether treating impulsive choice can protect against relapse propensity, in experiment 2, impulsive choice was manipulated by pharmacological interventions and cocaine-associated contextual cues. Trait impulsive choice as determined in experiment 1 predicted high extinction resistance and enhanced propensity to context-induced relapse in the cocaine SA model, whereas cocaine intake did not alter impulsive choice. Furthermore, acute changes in impulsive choice were not related to rates of context-induced relapse. Taken together, the current data indicate that trait impulsive choice predicts persistent cocaine seeking during extinction and enhanced propensity to relapse, whereas acute manipulations of impulsive choice had no favorable outcomes on relapse measures. These observations suggest that trait impulsivity can be used as a predictive factor for addiction liability, but treating this impulsivity does not necessarily protect against relapse.