Source Paper
Time-Dependent Increases in Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Protein Levels within the Mesolimbic Dopamine System after Withdrawal from Cocaine: Implications for Incubation of Cocaine Craving
Jeffrey W. Grimm, Lin Lu, Teruo Hayashi, Bruce T. Hope, Tsung-Ping Su et al.
Journal of Neuroscience • 2003
Cocaine Self-Administration Training
Objective: To assess cocaine self-administration training and measure lever-pressing behavior in response to intravenous cocaine paired with tone-light cues over a 10-day training period
Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.
Equipment2
Materials2
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Protocol Steps
Cocaine self-administration training
Rats trained to press a lever to receive intravenous cocaine with each earned reward paired with a tone-light cue
Note: Parallel group trained on oral sucrose as control
View evidence from paper
“Rats were trained to press a lever to receive intravenous cocaine or oral sucrose for 6 hr/d for 10 d; each earned reward was paired with a tone–light cue”
Reward withdrawal period
Rats underwent withdrawal from cocaine or sucrose reward for specified durations before testing
Note: Different cohorts tested at each timepoint
View evidence from paper
“Resumption of lever-pressing behavior was then assessed on days 1, 30, or 90 of reward withdrawal”
Extinction test
Lever presses were not reinforced and the tone-light cue was absent to assess resistance to extinction
Note: First test conducted after reward withdrawal
View evidence from paper
“First, resistance to extinction was assessed during 6 hr in which lever presses were not reinforced and the cue was absent”
Cue-induced reinstatement test
After extinction, lever presses led to presentations of the tone-light cue to assess cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior
Note: Conducted immediately following extinction test
View evidence from paper
“Second, cue-induced reinstatement was assessed after extinction during 1 hr in which responding led to cue presentations”
Brain tissue collection
Separate cohorts of rats were killed without behavioral testing to collect brain tissue for BDNF and NGF protein measurement
Note: Tissue collected on days 1, 30, and 90 of reward withdrawal from ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, and amygdala
View evidence from paper
“Other rats were killed without testing on days 1, 30, and 90 of reward withdrawal, and BDNF and nerve growth factor (NGF) protein levels were measured in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), accumbens, and amygdala”