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Effects of acute administration of nicotine, amphetamine, diazepam, morphine, and ethanol on risky decision-making in rats

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Abstract

Rationale

Most individuals can accurately assess the risks and rewards associated with choice alternatives and decide accordingly; however, drug users often display maladaptive decision-making, such that choices are biased toward excessively risky options.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a range of drugs of abuse on risky decision-making.

Methods

Male Long–Evans rats were trained in the Risky Decision-Making Task, in which they chose between two levers, one which produced a small, “safe” food reward and the other which produced a large, “risky” food reward. The large reward was accompanied by the risk of a mild footshock, the probability of which increased over the course of each test session (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%).

Results

Nicotine (0.6 mg/kg) and amphetamine (1.5 mg/kg) caused a significant decrease in choice of the large risky reward (decreased risk taking). Diazepam (1.0 mg/kg) caused a significant increase in choice of the large risky reward (increased risk taking), whereas morphine (3.0 mg/kg) caused only a trend toward increased choice of the large risky reward. Ethanol had no effect on choice behavior.

Conclusions

These results show that acute administration of drugs of abuse can modulate risk taking in a drug-specific manner, either increasing or decreasing preference for highly rewarding, but risky, options.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Ian Mendez and Ms. Rebecca Simmons for their assistance in completing these experiments, and Dr. James Grau for the morphine. Supported by NIH DA024671 (BS) and F31DA0233312 (NWS). No authors have any conflicts of interest. All experiments were conducted in accordance with applicable animal welfare laws and regulations in the USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0256, USA

    Marci R. Mitchell & Barry Setlow

  2. Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA

    Marci R. Mitchell & Barry Setlow

  3. Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Colin M. Vokes & Amy L. Blankenship

  4. Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA

    Nicholas W. Simon

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  1. Marci R. Mitchell
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  2. Colin M. Vokes
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  3. Amy L. Blankenship
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  4. Nicholas W. Simon
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  5. Barry Setlow
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barry Setlow.

Additional information

Supported by: NIH DA024671 (BS) and DA023331 (NWS)

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Mitchell, M.R., Vokes, C.M., Blankenship, A.L. et al. Effects of acute administration of nicotine, amphetamine, diazepam, morphine, and ethanol on risky decision-making in rats. Psychopharmacology 218, 703–712 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-011-2363-8

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