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Early adolescents show enhanced acute cocaine‐induced locomotor activity in comparison to late adolescent and adult rats
Author(s) -
Badanich Kimberly A.,
Maldonado Antoniette M.,
Kirstein Cheryl L.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.20252
Subject(s) - psychology , locomotor activity , developmental psychology , physiology , medicine
Initiation of drug use during adolescence is associated with an increased probability to develop a drug addiction. The present study examined dose–response effects of cocaine (0, 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg, i.p.) on locomotor activity in early adolescent (postnatal day (PND) 35), late adolescent (PND 45), and young adults (PND 60) by measuring total distance moved (TDM) and frequency of start–stops. In response to 20 mg/kg cocaine, early adolescents showed the greatest cocaine‐induced increase in TDM in comparison to late adolescent and adult rats. At this same dose, early adolescents showed the greatest cocaine‐induced attenuation of start–stops relative to older rats. Results suggest that early adolescents engage in more cocaine‐induced locomotor activity and less stationary behavior indicating that early adolescents are more sensitive to locomotor activating effects of high dose cocaine than older rats. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 50: 127–133, 2008.