Abstract
A Pavlovian conditioning model of tolerance emphasizes the contribution of an association between predrug cues and the systemic effects of the drug to tolerance. In agreement with the model, results of a recent animal experiment indicate that the lethal effect of heroin, in drug-experienced rats, is influenced by the cues associated with its administration. To assess the applicability of these findings to instances of heroin overdose in humans, overdose survivors were questioned about the circumstances of their overdose. These retrospective reports by human victims are congenial with these animal data, and suggest that the conditioning model may be relevant to some instances of overdose death among heroin addicts.
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This work was supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Appreciation is expressed to H. Berkley for conducting the interviews.
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Siegel, S. Pavlovian conditioning and heroin overdose: Reports by overdose victims. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 22, 428–430 (1984). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333867
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333867