DETERMINANTS OF NICOTINE SELF-ADMINISTRATION

Experiments utilizing the self-administration procedure have yielded v aried rates of responding when using nicotine as the reinforcer. A num ber of factors are reviewed that appear to determine behavioral perfor mance in self-administration procedures. Species differences ranging f rom rats to human, genotypic differences, schedules of reinforcement, food deprivation, routes of administration, rates of nicotine infusion , and previous drug history are all critical determinants of nicotine self-administration. Further characterization of these factors will be necessary in order to establish a ''threshold dose'' of nicotine as a means of regulating nicotine addiction. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.