Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reinforcing effects of methylphenidate: influence of dose and behavioral demands following drug administration

  • Original Investigation
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Rationale

The reinforcing effects of stimulant drugs such as d-amphetamine, caffeine, and cocaine are modulated by behavioral demands following drug administration.

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the reinforcing effects of methylphenidate under different behavioral demands using a modified progressive-ratio procedure.

Methods

The reinforcing effects of oral methylphenidate (0, 10, 20, and 40 mg) were assessed in seven healthy adult volunteers under both performance and relaxation conditions. Performance sessions required volunteers to complete simple arithmetic problems for three 50-min blocks. Relaxation sessions required volunteers to sit quietly in a semi-reclined position in a darkened room for three 50-min blocks. Two sampling sessions (one performance and one relaxation session) always preceded two self-administration sessions (one performance and one relaxation session) and the order of relaxation and performance sessions was constant within a dose condition.

Results

Methylphenidate significantly increased break point and number of capsules earned on the modified progressive-ratio procedure as an increasing function of dose under the performance, but not the relaxation, condition. Methylphenidate produced comparable stimulant-like subject ratings under both the performance and relaxation conditions.

Conclusion

The findings of the present experiment suggest that the reinforcing effects of methylphenidate, like d-amphetamine and cocaine, are influenced by behavioral demands following drug administration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abreu ME, Griffiths RR (1996) Drug tasting may confound human drug discrimination studies. Psychopharmacology 125:255–257

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Babcock Q, Byrne T (2000) Student perceptions of methylphenidate abuse at a public liberal arts college. J Am Coll Health 49:143–145

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Comer SD, Collins ED, Fischman MW (1997) Choice between money and intranasal heroin in morphine maintained humans. Behav Pharmacol 8:677–690

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Comer SD, Collins ED, Wilson ST, Donovan MR, Foltin RW, Fischman MW (1998) Effects of an alternative reinforcer on intravenous heroin self-administration by humans. Eur J Pharmacol 345:13–26

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dews PB (1955) The effects of pentobarbital, methamphetamine, and scopolamine on performances in pigeons involving discriminations. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 115:73–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths RR, Bigelow GE, Henningfield JE (1980) Similarities in animal and human drug-taking behavior. In: Mello NK (ed) Advances in substance abuse: behavioral and biological research. JAI, Greenwich, pp 1–90

  • Higgins ST, Bickel WK, Hughes JR, Lynn M, Capeless MA, Fenwick JW (1990) Effects of intranasal cocaine on human learning, performance and physiology. Psychopharmacology 102:451–458

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones HE, Garrett BE, Griffiths RR (2001) Reinforcing effects of oral cocaine: contextual determinants. Psychopharmacology 154:143–152

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kapner DA (2003) Recreational use of ritalin on college campuses. Infofacts resources. The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention, Newton

  • Klein-Schwartz W (2002) Abuse and toxicity of methylphenidate. Curr Opin Pediatr 14:219–223

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klein-Schwartz W, McGrath J (2003) Poison centers’ experience with methylphenidate abuse in pre-teens and adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 42:288–294

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kollins SH, MacDonald EK, Rush CR (2001) Assessing the abuse potential of methylphenidate in nonhuman and human subjects: a review. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 68:611–627

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lamb RJ, Preston KL, Schindler CW, Meisch RA, Davis F, Katz JL, Henningfield JE, Goldberg SR (1991) The reinforcing and subjective effects of morphine in post-addicts: a dose–response study. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 259:1165–1173

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oliveto AH, Bickel WK, Hughes JR, Shea PJ, Higgins ST, Fenwick JW (1992) Caffeine drug discrimination in humans: acquisition, specificity and correlation with self-reports. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 261:885–889

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roehrs T, Papineau K, Rosenthal L, Roth T (1999) Sleepiness and the reinforcing and subjective effects of methylphenidate. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 7:145–150

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rush CR, Kollins SH, Pazzaglia PJ (1998) Discriminative-stimulus and participant-rated effects of methylphenidate, bupropion and triazolam in d-amphetamine trained humans. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 6:32–44

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rush CR, Essman WD, Simpson CA, Baker RW (2001) Reinforcing and subject-rated effects of methylphenidate and d-amphetamine in non-drug-abusing volunteers. J Clin Psychopharmacol 21:273–286

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rush CR, Stoops WW, Hays LR, Glaser PEA, Hays LS (2003) Risperidone attenuates the discriminative-stimulus and subject-rated effects of d-amphetamine. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 306:195–204

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Selzer ML (1971) The Michigan alcoholism screening test: the quest for a new diagnostic instrument. Am J Psychiatry 127:1653–1658

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman K, Kirby KC, Griffiths RR (1994a) Modulation of drug reinforcement by behavioral requirements following drug ingestion. Psychopharmacology 114:243–247

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman K, Mumford GK, Griffiths RR (1994b) Enhancing caffeine reinforcement by behavioral requirements following drug ingestion. Psychopharmacology 114:424–432

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner HA (1982) The drug abuse screening test. Addict Behav 7:363–371

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stoops WW, Glaser PEA, Rush CR (2003) Reinforcing, subject-rated, and physiological effects of intranasal methylphenidate: a dose–response analysis. Drug Alcohol Depend 71:179–186

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stoops WW, Glaser PEA, Fillmore MT, Rush CR (2004) Reinforcing, subject-rated, performance, and physiological effects of methylphenidate and d-amphetamine in stimulant abusing humans. J Psychopharmacol (in press)

  • Teter CJ, McCabe SE, Boyd CJ, Guthrie SK (2003) Illicit methylphenidate use in an undergraduate student sample: prevalence and risk factors. Pharmacotherapy 23:609–617

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson T (1984) Behavioral mechanisms of drug dependence. In: Thompson T, Dews PB (eds) Advances in behavioral pharmacology, vol 4. Academic, New York, pp 1–45

  • Wagner JC (1991) Enhancement of athletic performance with drugs. An overview. Sports Med 12:250–265

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss B, Laties VG (1962) Enhancement of human performance by caffeine and the amphetamines. Pharmacol Rev 14:1–36

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grant DA12665 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (CRR). The authors wish to thank Frances P. Wagner, RN, Michelle D. Gray, Jamie L. Haga and Allison L. Weber for their expert medical and technical assistance. The present experiment complied with all current laws in the United States of America.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

    William W. Stoops, Mark T. Fillmore & Craig R. Rush

  2. Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA

    William W. Stoops, Joshua A. Lile & Craig R. Rush

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA

    Paul E. A. Glaser & Craig R. Rush

  4. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA

    Paul E. A. Glaser

Authors
  1. William W. Stoops
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joshua A. Lile
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mark T. Fillmore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Paul E. A. Glaser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Craig R. Rush
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Craig R. Rush.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stoops, W.W., Lile, J.A., Fillmore, M.T. et al. Reinforcing effects of methylphenidate: influence of dose and behavioral demands following drug administration. Psychopharmacology 177, 349–355 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1946-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1946-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation