Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38992255›Full record

ArticlePsychopharmacology2025

The positive reinforcing effects of cocaine and opposite-sex social contact: roles of biological sex and estrus.

Mark A Smith, Samantha P Armas, Jacob D Camp, Hannah N Carlson

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Psychopharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Mark A SmithDepartment of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Davidson College, 209 Ridge Road, PO Box 5000, Davidson, NC, 28035, USA. masmith@davidson.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0429-2798
Samantha P ArmasDepartment of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Davidson College, 209 Ridge Road, PO Box 5000, Davidson, NC, 28035, USA.
Jacob D CampDepartment of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Davidson College, 209 Ridge Road, PO Box 5000, Davidson, NC, 28035, USA.
Hannah N CarlsonDepartment of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Davidson College, 209 Ridge Road, PO Box 5000, Davidson, NC, 28035, USA.

Funding

Social Influences on Drug-Seeking BehaviorR01DA031725 · NIDA · DAVIDSON COLLEGE · PI SMITH, MARK A · 2012 to 2022
$3.1M
The Influence of Gonadal Hormones on Opioid UseR01DA045364 · NIDA · DAVIDSON COLLEGE · PI SMITH, MARK A · 2018 to 2022
$1.6M
NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA031725NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA045364
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationalePreclinical studies report that drug use and social contact mutually influence the reinforcing effects of one another. Most of these studies have used same-sex dyads exclusively, and the role of factors related to biological sex and hormonal fluctuations are not well understood.

objectivesThe purpose of this study was to examine the reinforcing effects of cocaine and social contact with an opposite-sex partner in male and female rats, and how these effects are modulated by ovarian hormones.

methodsMale and female rats were trained in a nonexclusive choice procedure in which cocaine and social contact with an opposite-sex partner were simultaneously available on concurrent progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement. To examine the effects of ovarian hormones related to estrous cycling, Experiment 1 used naturally cycling, gonadally intact females, whereas Experiment 2 used ovariectomized females, and estrus was artificially induced with exogenous hormones.

resultsIn both experiments, cocaine and social contact functioned as robust reinforcers, and there were no significant effects of biological sex or estrus status of the females. The positive reinforcing effects of both cocaine and social contact increased as a function of cocaine dose, indicating that contingent cocaine administration increases the reinforcing effects of social contact.

conclusionsThese data suggest that cocaine use among opposite-sex partners may enhance factors that contribute to social bonding.

Indexed as

CocaineEstrusReinforcement, PsychologySocial BehaviorAnimalsDose-Response Relationship, DrugFemaleMaleOvariectomyRatsRats, Sprague-DawleyReinforcement ScheduleCocaineAddictionAnimal modelChoiceConcurrent scheduleEstrous cycleProgressive ratioSex differencesSocial behavior

Identifiers

PMID38992255
PMCPMC11742770

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.