INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSE TO NOVELTY, AMPHETAMINE-INDUCED ACTIVITY AND DRUG DISCRIMINATION IN RATS

Rats were pre-tested in several individual difference screens - novelt y-induced activity, novelty-induced place preference, novel-object int eraction, and amphetamine-induced activity. Rats that were more sensit ive to the locomotor effects of amphetamine mere more active in an ine scapable novel environment and displayed a greater preference for a no vel environment. All animals were then trained to discriminate ampheta mine (1 mg/kg) from saline in a two-bar discrimination procedure using food-maintained responding. After acquisition of the discrimination ( mean =37 trials), two amphetamine generalization tests (0.0625, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg) were conducted. In the second generaliz ation test, rats that were more sensitive to the activating effect of amphetamine were also more sensitive to the discriminative stimulus ef fects of amphetamine (i.e. lower median effective dose). Moreover, hig h responders in the novelty-induced activity and novelty-induced place preference screens were more sensitive than low responders to the bar -press suppressant effects of amphetamine in the first generalization test. The relationships are discussed in terms of identifying processe s common to the screens (e.g. stress and reward).