EXTINCTION OF THE DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS EFFECTS OF NICOTINE WITH A DEVALUED REINFORCER: RECOVERY FOLLOWING REVALUATION.

Extinction and recovery of the discriminative stimulus effects of nicotine (0.3 mg/kg) was investigated with a devalued food reinforcer (rats sated). Sixteen rats were trained in a counterbalanced one manipulandum (nose-poke) drug discrimination procedure with the roles of nicotine and saline counterbalanced as SD and SΔ. Discrimination training was maintained and then extinguished with the devalued reinforcer. Devaluation of the reinforcer diminished SΔ response rates during discrimination training but not discriminative control. Following delays after extinction, recovery of responding occurred with the revalued but not devalued reinforcer. These data demonstrate that (a) discriminative control by nicotine is temporally stable with a devalued reinforcer following acquisition and extinction, (b) revaluation of the reinforcer promotes recovery of discriminative control, and (c) recovery of interoceptive discriminative control by nicotine following extinction is affected by changes in motivation. Theoretical implications regarding drug replacement therapy and cue-exposure therapy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]