THE ECONOMICS OF POLYDRUG ABUSE

描述：（申请人摘要） 这种新的应用涉及使用行为经济学来分析 滥用多种药物平行研究中将使用两组5只恒河猴 滥用多种药物一组猴子将有机会获得甲基苯丙胺， 另一组则可获得美沙酮。药物的运送将是 取决于固定比率时间表的完成。在固定比率下 计划交付的货物取决于作出固定数量的 应答在本申请中，固定比率时间表的完成将 导致输送0.67 ml液体。根据实验 在某些条件下，液体将是水或药物溶液。两种液体输送 系统将存在，从而使猴子在液体之间进行选择。在 研究1，甲基苯丙胺溶液与水，或甲基苯丙胺溶液与水， 将存在美沙酮与水。药物溶液的浓度 以及所需的响应数量（即固定比例大小） 也将系统地改变每次液体输送。结果将 以不同价格（即 固定比例大小和药物浓度的组合）。在下一组 一系列药物对的研究将被分析，因为一种药物的价格是 改变为不同的值，另一种药物的价格保持不变。 在这些研究中，猴子可以选择服用两种药物， 一种药物或两种都没有。重点是药物摄入量与 和他们的价格。总体目标是确定哪些药物组合 当每种药物的成本不同时，结果将证明， 分析多种药物滥用的系统和定量战略。

DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) This new application concerns the use of behavioral economics to analyze polydrug abuse. Two groups of 5 rhesus monkeys will be used in parallel studies of polydrug abuse. One group of monkeys will have access to methamphetamine and the other group will have access to methadone. The delivery of drugs will be contingent upon the completion of fixed-ratio schedules. Under a fixed-ratio schedule delivery of the reinforcer is contingent upon making a fixed-number of responses. In the present application completion of fixed-ratio schedules will result in the delivery of 0.67 ml of liquid. Depending upon the experimental conditions, the liquid will be water or a solution of drug. Two liquid delivery systems will be present thereby giving the monkey a choice between liquids. In Study 1, either a solution of methamphetamine vs. water, or a solution of methadone vs. water will be present. The concentration of the drug solutions will be varied and also the number of response (i.e. fixed-ratio size) required per liquid delivery will also be systematically changed. The results will be plotted in terms of the drug amount consumed at different prices (i.e combinations of fixed-ratio size and drug concentration). In the next set of studies a series of drug pairs will be analyzed as the price for one drug is changed to different values and the price of the other drug is held constant. In these studies the monkeys will have the option of taking two drugs or just one drug or neither. The focus is on the interactions between intake of drug and their prices. The overall aim is to determine what combinations of drugs are taken when the cost of each drug is varied. The results will demonstrate a systematic and quantitative strategy for the analysis of polydrug abuse.