Classical Conditioning

& Drug EffectsLecture 13

Learning & Drug-taking Behavior

Learning can be maladaptive phobias obsessive/compulsive disorder Drug-taking behavior

Role of learning in drug-taking Motivation, acquisition, & maintenance Operant & Classical conditioning Same rules as any acquired response ~

Associative Learning Operant learning

Attempt to change environment Controlled by consequences Acquisition & maintenance

Classical Conditioning (Respondent) Involuntary behavior Triggered by external events Learned “reflexes” Motivation Alters drug effects ~

Motivation Will expend energy to achieve goal Approach or Avoidance What “motivates” behavior? Physiological responses Emotional responses Cognitive response Involuntary responses Both innate & learned ~

Learning Associations

Signal--Important event Based on reflexes

stimulus response automatic (involuntary)

After association learned… signal triggers response ~

Reflexive Behavior

Unconditional Stimulus (US) Biologically important Survival value

Unconditional Response (UR) Reflexive response Automatic ~

Learned Behavior

Conditional stimuli (CS) Initially neutral Becomes a signal/cue

Conditional Response (CR) Learned response Elicited by CS ~

CS US UR

Classical Conditioning

FOOD SALIVATIONTONE

ConditionalResponse

Tone

Salivation

CS only

After Classical Conditioning

Emotional component to URs Associated with contextual cues

CS+ / CS- CER CERs often motivate behaviors

including drug-taking Hedonism / Self-medication Lead to reinforcement ~

CERs & Motivation

CER (affect)

CS+

CS-

Appetitive Aversive

US

Positive

PositiveNegative

Negative

Drugs & Classical Conditioning

Unconditional Stimulus (US) Drug’s interaction with nervous

system Unconditional Response (UR)

Drug effect(s) Conditional stimuli (CS)

Cues for administration Conditional Response (CR)

Homogenic or heterogenic? ~

Conditioned Withdrawal

Opiate addicts Naloxone withdrawal

CS: contextual cues syringe, sounds, location, etc. ~

Syringe

ConditionalStimulus

Naloxone

Unconditional Stimulus

Withdrawal

Unconditional Response

Classical Conditioning: Heroin Addicts

Syringe

Withdrawal

ConditionalResponse

Classical Conditioning: Heroin Addicts

ConditionalStimulus

Conditioned Drug Responses Same laws of any learned behavior Acquisition (CS – US)

Gradual strengthening of CR Relatively permanent

Extinction (CS – no US) Gradual weakening of CR Cues no longer predict drug Relatively permanent? ~

Recovery of Extinguished Response

Spontaneous Recovery just passage of time

Disinhibition CS in new context

Renewal Effect Extinction in different context than

acquisition Reacquisition

CR re-established in fewer trials ~

What does it all mean?

Demonstrate association intact CR is inhibited

Spontaneous recovery & Disinhibition Might trigger relapse

Reacquisition Craving / habit reestablished quickly

Operant conditioning Same phenomena ~