Binge cocaine self-administration in humans: intravenous cocaine

Cocaine is frequently used in intermittent cycles of repeated dosing, or “binges.” This pattern of cocaine use has been difficult to study in humans because currently available laboratory models use only one daily session during which a single dose or multiple doses are administered. In the present study, seven adult male IV cocaine users completed a protocol investigating changes in cardiovascular and subjective responses during the repeated self-administration of cocaine. Volunteers participated in a 2-day and a 3-day access condition. On each day of access, they participated in two 2.5-h sessions, one at 1200 and another at 1600 hours. In the 2- and 3-day conditions, participants had access to cocaine on 2 or 3 consecutive days, respectively. During sessions, participants could self-administer up to six doses of IV cocaine (32 mg/70 kg) every 14 min. Participants chose not to self-administer cocaine on only 10% of the 420 trials. Acute tolerance developed to the cardiovascular and several subjective effects of cocaine. Heart rate was the only measure that tended to decrease across days of repeated cocaine self-administration. Ratings of “I want cocaine” decreased at the end of the last self-administration session during both 2- and 3-day conditions. There was no difference between the 2- and 3-day conditions for any measure. The laboratory model of “binge” cocaine use established in this study can be used to describe changes in cardiovascular and subjective effects of cocaine within and between bouts of repeated cocaine use.