DIFFERENTIAL-EFFECTS OF DOMINANCE STATUS ON SENSITIVITY TO COCAINE INMALE-RATS

Factors affecting behavioral responses to psychomotor stimulants inclu de behavioral history, environmental, and physiological parameters. Th is study investigated the effect of social dominance on the actometric and conditioned place preference responses to cocaine. Cocaine increa sed locomotion in winners and losers of paired competition tests, howe ver no differences existed between the responses of the two population s. However, winners, but not losers, developed a cocaine-induced condi tioned place preference. The results of this preliminary study suggest that subtle differences in cocaine sensitivity exist between dominant and subdominant members of a population. However, social dominance do es not uniformly affect all behavioral responses to cocaine.