Discriminative-stimulus control by morphine in the pigeon under a fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement

Abstract

The stimulus control by morphine under a fixed-interval (FI) 180-s schedule of reinforcement was examined in five pigeons trained to discriminate 5.0mg/kg of i.m. morphine from saline. After training, dose-response relationships were determined for morphine, d-amphetamine, pentobarbital, fentanyl, and MK-801. At low doses of morphine, responding of individual subjects was predominantly on the saline-appropriate key. At intermediate doses responding occurred on both keys throughout the interval. Following doses of 5.6mg/kg and higher, responding on both keys was observed in the early portions of the interval with responding shifting to the morphine-appropriate key as the interval progressed. Thus, a graded dose-effect curve for morphine was obtained under the FI schedule. The fentanyl dose-effect curve was similar to that obtained with morphine, but the other test drugs were not generalized. Five other pigeons were trained to discriminate 5.0mg/kg of morphine from saline under a fixed-ratio (FR) 100 schedule of reinforcement. During testing with morphine, responses were confined to the saline-appropriate key at 0.3 and 1.0mg/kg of morphine, but at higher doses responses were confined to the drug key. In contrast to the results obtained using the FI schedule, a quantal relationship for responding on the two keys was observed when a FR schedule was employed.