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Enhanced behavioral response to repeated-dose cocaine in adolescent rats

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An Erratum to this article was published on 24 November 2005

Abstract

Rationale

Most lifelong drug addiction in humans originates during adolescence. Important structural and functional changes in the brain occur during adolescence, but there has been little direct study of how this impacts on drug abuse vulnerability. An emerging literature suggests that adolescents exhibit different behavioral responses to single doses of several addictive drugs, including ethanol, amphetamine, and cocaine. However, few studies have explored behavioral responses to the repeated dosing that is characteristic of human abuse of these substances.

Objectives

We have investigated age-related behavioral responses to acute “binge” cocaine treatment between adults and adolescents.

Results

Adolescent rats displayed an exaggerated behavioral response to cocaine administered in two different binge patterns. Total locomotion after cocaine administration was the same in adolescents and adults. However, adolescent rats engaged in more intense stereotypic behaviors, including paw treading, head weaving, and focused sniffing than adult rats. These differences were observable following a modest dose of cocaine and became more robust following subsequent doses within a binge. Cocaine blood and brain levels were not significantly different between age groups during any of the exposure sessions.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that equivalent tissue concentrations of cocaine produce a greater behavioral response in young rats, and that adolescent animals display an apparent form of intrabinge sensitization.

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Acknowledgements

This work was generously supported by NIDA grant #DA09079. Cocaine blood and brain analyses were performed at the Center for Human Toxicology, University of Utah, under US Public Health Service Contract N01-DA-6-7052.

These experiments comply with all applicable US laws and regulations.

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Correspondence to Cynthia M. Kuhn.

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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-0244-8

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Caster, J.M., Walker, Q.D. & Kuhn, C.M. Enhanced behavioral response to repeated-dose cocaine in adolescent rats. Psychopharmacology 183, 218–225 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-0159-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-0159-4

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