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Reduction of impulsivity with amphetamine in an appetitive fixed consecutive number schedule with cue for optimal performance in rats

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Abstract

Rationale

Impulsivity is a key feature of many psychopathologies such as mania, personality disorders or attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Most experimental paradigms assessing impulsive behaviour also require non-specific capacities such as time estimation. This may interact with the measures and mask the beneficial effects of psychostimulants—the most commonly used treatment for ADHD—on impulsivity, given that these drugs speed up the internal clock.

Objectives

The present experiment investigated the effects of suppressing behaviours non-specific to impulsivity in a fixed consecutive number (FCN) schedule and examined whether amphetamine, previously shown to increase impulsive responses in this task, could have beneficial effects when impulsive responses are promoted.

Materials and methods

Food-deprived rats were trained to press one lever of a two-lever operant chamber eight times before pressing the other lever to obtain food. Premature ending of responses resulted in absence of food delivery and reset the counter. A cue light indicating the required number of presses was present (FCN8cue) and removed after training (FCN8). Rats were then trained under an FCN16cue schedule to be challenged with d-amphetamine (0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg).

Results

The cue improved performances, and similar scores were obtained under FCN16cue compared to FCN8. Premature responses under these two conditions were unrelated. Amphetamine reduced impulsive responses in FCN16cue at the lower dose.

Conclusions

Suppression of capacities non-specific to impulsivity in the FCN schedule, associated with conditions that permit the expression of inhibitory deficits, allows the beneficial effects of psychostimulants observed clinically to be evidenced experimentally.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the CNRS, the Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2 and Région Aquitaine. The authors would like to thank Dr. Serge Ahmed as well as the referees for helpful comments and advice for improving the manuscript, Dr. L. Stinus and Dr. M. Cador for kind support and excellent management of the laboratory, Pierre Gonzalez for technical assistance and Stéphane Lelgouach and Anne Fayoux for animal care. All experiments were performed in accordance with the European Communities Council Directive of November 24, 1986 (86/609/EEC) and following the “Guidelines for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioural Research” (National Research Council 2003).

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Correspondence to Françoise Dellu-Hagedorn.

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Rivalan, M., Grégoire, S. & Dellu-Hagedorn, F. Reduction of impulsivity with amphetamine in an appetitive fixed consecutive number schedule with cue for optimal performance in rats. Psychopharmacology 192, 171–182 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-007-0702-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-007-0702-6

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