Fixed-interval schedules of intravenous cocaine presentation in rats

Abstract

Fixed-interval schedules of intravenous cocaine presentation were examined as a function of injection dose (0.32 to 0.64 mg/kg) and interval duration (200 to 400 sec) in two rats. Cocaine was found to exert a dose-related temporal control over the initiation of responding that was unaffected by the fixed-interval contingency. Fixed-interval pause duration was linearly related to injection dose and was the same duration as the interresponse time found on continuous reinforcement schedules of cocaine presentation. The fixed-interval pause remained constant with changes in interval duration. Characteristic fixed-interval patterns of responding were observed. However, overall response rates were inversely related to injection dose and directly related to interval duration. Running response rates varied unsystematically with both variables. These findings are at variance with results typically found in studies of fixed-interval food and electric shock presentation.