Beth Larrabee, M.S.

She/her

Education: Bachelor of Science in psychology (May 2008)

Master of Science in statistics from Kansas State University

McNair Project: DCS in Amphetamine Reinstatement (2005)

Mentor: Mary Cain, Ph.D.

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of D-Cycloserine (DCS) on amphetamine reinstatement. Thirty-six Sprauge-Dawley rats were classified as high (HR) and low (LR) responders based on responding to inescapable novelty. Rats received repeated amphetamine (1.0 mg/ml; s.c.) or saline injections during one-hour locomotor sessions. HR rats had a greater amount of amphetamine-induced hyperactivity than LR. Following training, conditioned hyperactivity was measured using a saline challenge. Both HR and LR rats displayed conditioned hyperactivity. The rats began extinction training with repeated saline injections. Following each session, half the rats received DCS (15 mg/kg; s.c.) and half received saline. There was a trend for DCS to facilitate extinction in LR, but not HR rats. DCS did not attenuate locomotor activity during a subsequent reinstatement test during which all rats received injections of amphetamine. These findings suggest that while DCS may facilitate extinction in LR rats, it may not attenuate reinstatement.