The vast majority of cocaine abusers, including those enrolled in drug abuse treatment, regularly use and abuse other drugs. Unfortunately, little scientific information is available indicating how such other drug use and abuse may influence the probability of cocaine use. This absence of information prevents clinicians from making empirically-based recommendations regarding the likely influence of other drug use on the course of cocaine abuse. The purpose of the research proposed in this application is to begin to address this important issue by experimentally analyzing the influence of other drug use on cocaine self-administration in humans under controlled laboratory conditions. Study 1 will be devoted to establishing an effective laboratory model for assessing the influence of drug pretreatment on cocaine self- administration. Intranasal doses of cocaine and varying amounts of money will be available under concurrent fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement. The influence of the amount of money available via the alternate option on cocaine self-administration will be assessed. Using the parametric information obtained in Study 1, cocaine availability in Studies 2-5 will be scheduled under conditions supporting relatively high, intermediate, and near-zero levels of cocaine self-administration. Respectively, those studies will assess the acute effects of pretreatment with varying doses of alcohol (0, 0.5, & 1.0 g/kg), marijuana (0, 1.3, & 2.7% delta9-THC/cigarette), caffeine (0, 150, 300 mg/70 kg) and nicotine (0.14, 1.14, & 2.20 mg/cigarette) on cocaine self-administration occurring at each of those three different levels. By systematically varying both the baseline level of cocaine self-administration and dose of the pretreatment drugs, a comprehensive analysis will be provided. Detection of drug-produced increases or decreases in cocaine use should be discernible. These studies will provide novel and important information that should be useful (1) in understanding drug interactions, (2) in understanding how other drug use may alter the relative control exerted by cocaine versus an alternative, non-drug reinforcer, and, most importantly, (3) in developing effective, empirically-based treatment strategies for achieving and maintaining cocaine abstinence.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA008076-02
Application #
2120544
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (SRCD (29))
Project Start
1993-02-01
Project End
1997-01-31
Budget Start
1994-02-01
Budget End
1995-01-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1994
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Vermont & St Agric College
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
066811191
City
Burlington
State
VT
Country
United States
Zip Code
05405
Streck, Joanna M; Heil, Sarah H; Higgins, Stephen T et al. (2018) Tobacco withdrawal among opioid-dependent smokers. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 26:119-124
Bradstreet, Matthew P; Higgins, Stephen T; McClernon, F Joseph et al. (2014) Examining the effects of initial smoking abstinence on response to smoking-related stimuli and response inhibition in a human laboratory model. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 231:2145-58
Chivers, Laura L; Higgins, Stephen T (2012) Some observations from behavioral economics for consideration in promoting money management among those with substance use disorders. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 38:8-19
Comer, Sandra D; Bickel, Warren K; Yi, Richard et al. (2010) Human behavioral pharmacology, past, present, and future: symposium presented at the 50th annual meeting of the Behavioral Pharmacology Society. Behav Pharmacol 21:251-77
Chivers, Laura L; Higgins, Stephen T; Heil, Sarah H et al. (2008) Effects of initial abstinence and programmed lapses on the relative reinforcing effects of cigarette smoking. J Appl Behav Anal 41:481-97
Silverman, Kenneth; Roll, John M; Higgins, Stephen T (2008) Introduction to the special issue on the behavior analysis and treatment of drug addiction. J Appl Behav Anal 41:471-80
Yoon, Jin H; Higgins, Stephen T (2008) Turning k on its head: comments on use of an ED50 in delay discounting research. Drug Alcohol Depend 95:169-72
Sigmon, Stacey C (2007) Investigating the pharmacological and nonpharmacological factors that modulate drug reinforcement. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 15:1-20
Higgins, Stephen T; Heil, Sarah H; Dumeer, Alissa M et al. (2006) Smoking status in the initial weeks of quitting as a predictor of smoking-cessation outcomes in pregnant women. Drug Alcohol Depend 85:138-41
Higgins, Stephen T (2006) Extending contingency management to the treatment of methamphetamine use disorders. Am J Psychiatry 163:1870-2

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