Transduction Mechanisms of Drug Stimuli (Psychopharmacology Series, 4)

In this book the latest data available on transduction mechanisms of drug stimuli are presented. A common theme underlying the chapter in this volume is the recognition that drugs can act as stimuli, in much the same manner as external events do. Accordingly, the papers focus on the mechanisms by which these stimuli are transduced at different levels of analysis, such as the behavioral, pharmacological, and molecular levels. Some chapters discuss the mechanisms of transduction of the discriminative effects of several important classes of drugs, while others deal with the methods and research strategies by which these mechanisms can be analyzed. Collectively, the papers in this volume reflect the current status of knowledge in the rapidly expanding field of behavioral pharmacology. Front Matter....Pages I-IX Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Drugs as Chemical Stimuli....Pages 3-11 Front Matter....Pages 13-13 Site-Selective Serotonin Agonists as Discriminative Stimuli....Pages 15-31 Discriminative Stimulus Effects of Cholinergic Agonists and the Actions of Their Antagonists....Pages 32-43 Stimulus Properties of Dopaminergic Drugs: Comparisons Involving Selective Agonists and Antagonists....Pages 44-56 Central Nervous System Stimulants: Neuropharmacological Mechanisms....Pages 57-72 Discriminative Stimulus Properties of Anxiolytic and Sedative Drugs: Pharmacological Specificity....Pages 73-84 Comparison of Discriminative Stimuli Produced by Full and Partial Benzodiazepine Agonists: Pharmacological Specificity....Pages 85-94 Receptor Mechanisms of Opioid Drug Discrimination....Pages 95-106 Discriminative and Analgesic Effects of Mu and Kappa Opioids: In Vivo pA 2 Analysis....Pages 107-121 Receptor Mediation of the Discriminative Stimulus Properties of Phencyclidine and Sigma-Opioid Agonists....Pages 122-135 Front Matter....Pages 137-137 Neural Mechanisms of Drug Stimuli: Experimental Approaches....Pages 139-153 Intrinsic Activity and Discriminative Effects of Drugs....Pages 154-160 Relationship Between the Discriminative Stimulus Properties and Subjective Effects of Drugs....Pages 161-175 Similarities and Differences Between Behavioral Control by Drug-Produced Stimuli and by Sensory Stimuli....Pages 176-198 Discrimination Strategies in Animal Psychophysics and Their Role in Understanding Sensory Receptor Function....Pages 199-214 Molecular Transduction Mechanisms in ACTH-Induced Grooming....Pages 215-231 Back Matter....Pages 233-236