Abstract
Rationale
Although cocaine is often abused in social situations, very few animal studies examine the effects of cocaine in the context of social behavior.
Objectives
This review highlights studies investigating the behavioral effects of cocaine in the context of social housing conditions using nonhuman primates. In addition, this review presents recent findings examining the effects of self-administering cocaine on social behavior and the effects of manipulations hypothesized to be stressful or enriching on the interactions between cocaine reinforcement and social rank. The following dependent variables are examined: (1) cocaine-induced changes in social behavior and (2) cocaine self-administration in cynomolgus monkeys of varying social ranks. The independent variables examined include several environmental and pharmacological manipulations.
Conclusions
The studies reviewed here indicate that several variables can differentially affect cocaine self-administration when studied in a social context, rather than in individually housed animals. These variables include the social rank and sex of the individual, drug history, the nature of the “fear”-inducing manipulation, and the reliability of cortisol as an appropriate measure of “stress.” While the inclusion of socially housed animals necessitates larger sample sizes, animal models incorporating social behavior are more homologous to the human condition and should be implemented when possible.
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Acknowledgements
Preparation of this manuscript was supported by NIDA grants R37 DA10584 and R01 DA017763. The authors thank Robert Gould, Natallia Riddick, Tonya Calhoun, Michael Coller, Mikki Sandridge, Matthew Dickens, Clifford Hubbard, Osric Prioleau, Ciara McCabe, and Michelle Icenhower for excellent technical assistance over the years and Kathleen A. Grant, Robert H. Mach, H. Donald Gage, and Jay R. Kaplan for our long-standing collaborations.
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Nader, M.A., Czoty, P.W., Nader, S.H. et al. Nonhuman primate models of social behavior and cocaine abuse. Psychopharmacology 224, 57–67 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2843-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2843-5