Acute cocaine effects in paradoxical sleep deprived male rats

Cocaine is a psychomotor drug known to cause behavioural alterations. This study was conducted to characterize behavioural response to acute cocaine injection (7 mg/kg, ip) in paradoxical sleep deprived (PSD) male rats since sleep deprivation is also associated with several behavioural alterations. Cocaine or vehicle was administered to rats at the end of a 4-day period of sleep deprivation, and in home-cage control animals. Cocaine administration in control and PSD rats induced a significant increase in stereotyped behaviour in relation to saline-injected rats. PSD induced significant but heterogeneous effects in animals by increasing grooming while it had effect neither on stereotyped behaviours, locomotion nor on anxiety-like behaviours but significantly decreased rearing behaviour. PSD potentiates the action of cocaine on stereotyped behaviours suggesting supersensitivity of dopaminergic receptors. Thus, the present study indicated that the behavioural effects of cocaine could be modified by PSD. This in turn may have relevant implications in the cocaine effect in abusers under sleep deprived condition.