ArticlePsychopharmacology2016
Caffeine, a common active adulterant of cocaine, enhances the reinforcing effect of cocaine and its motivational value.
Article in Psychopharmacology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prenatal Coca Paste Exposure Impairs Hippocampal Neuronal Development and Recognition Memory in Offspring.Neurotoxicity research · 2026Article
- Article
- Impacts of Self-Administered 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) Alone, and in Combination with Caffeine, on Recognition Memory and Striatal Monoamine Neurochemistry in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats: Comparisons with Methamphetamine and Cocaine.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- Application of dose-addition analyses to characterize the abuse-related effects of drug mixtures.Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior · 2022Review
- Simultaneous administration of cocaine and caffeine dysregulates HCN and T-type channels.Psychopharmacology · 2021Article
- Personal Doses of Cocaine and Coca Paste are Adulterated in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia).TheScientificWorldJournal · 2021Article
- Cannabidiol Prevents the Expression of the Locomotor Sensitization and the Metabolic Changes in the Nucleus Accumbens and Prefrontal Cortex Elicited by the Combined Administration of Cocaine and Caffeine in Rats.Neurotoxicity research · 2020Article
- Molecular changes in the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex associated with the locomotor sensitization induced by coca paste seized samples.Psychopharmacology · 2020Article
- Alterations in the Gut Microbiota of Rats Chronically Exposed to Volatilized Cocaine and Its Active Adulterants Caffeine and Phenacetin.Neurotoxicity research · 2019Article
- Effects of adolescent caffeine consumption on cocaine self-administration and reinstatement of cocaine seeking.Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) · 2018Article
- Identification and Quantification of Cocaine and Active Adulterants in Coca-Paste Seized Samples: Useful Scientific Support to Health Care.Neurotoxicity research · 2018Article
- Trajectories of energy drink consumption and subsequent drug use during young adulthood.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2017Article
- Cocaine adulteration.Journal of chemical neuroanatomy · 2017Review
- Caffeine Induces a Stimulant Effect and Increases Dopamine Release in the Nucleus Accumbens Shell Through the Pulmonary Inhalation Route of Administration in Rats.Neurotoxicity research · 2017Article
- The Role of Adenosine Receptors in Psychostimulant Addiction.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2017Review
- Cocaine and Caffeine Effects on the Conditioned Place Preference Test: Concomitant Changes on Early Genes within the Mouse Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
rationaleCaffeine is one of the psychoactive substances most widely used as an adulterant in illicit drugs, such as cocaine. Animal studies have demonstrated that caffeine is able to potentiate several cocaine actions, although the enhancement of the cocaine reinforcing property by caffeine is less reported, and the results depend on the paradigms and experimental protocols used.
objectivesWe examined the ability of caffeine to enhance the motivational and rewarding properties of cocaine using an intravenous self-administration paradigm in rats. Additionally, the role of caffeine as a primer cue during extinction was evaluated.
methodsIn naïve rats, we assessed (1) the ability of the cocaine (0.250-0.125 mg/kg/infusion) and caffeine (0.125-0.0625 mg/kg/infusion) combination to maintain self-administration in fixed ratio (FR) and progressive ratio (PR) schedules of reinforcement compared with cocaine or caffeine alone and (2) the effect of caffeine (0.0625 mg/kg/infusion) in the maintenance of responding in the animals exposed to the combination of the drugs during cocaine extinction.
resultsCocaine combined with caffeine and cocaine alone was self-administered on FR and PR schedules of reinforcement. Interestingly, the breaking point determined for the cocaine + caffeine group was significantly higher than the cocaine group. Moreover, caffeine, that by itself did not maintain self-administration behavior in naïve rats, maintained drug-seeking behavior of rats previously exposed to combinations of cocaine + caffeine.
conclusionsCaffeine enhances the reinforcing effects of cocaine and its motivational value. Our results highlight the role of active adulterants commonly used in cocaine-based illicit street drugs.
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