Ritual de administración y respuestas condicionadas miméticas de los efectos analgésicos y subjetivos de la heroína

Abstract

The pulpose was to facilitate the emission of mimetic CRS to the analgesic and subjective effects of heroin in 18 detoxified heroin addicts (9 men, 9 women). Three different stimulus series were manipulated: SSA, administration of electric shock (ES), 4 mA in intensity and 2 seconds in duration; SSB, administration of the same ES afer a needle prick given by the researcher; SSCa, dministration of the same ES after the performance of the pump ritual without intake of the drug by the subjects. The responses measured were heart rate (HR), electrodermal activity (EA), desire for heroin (DH), and autoperception of abstinence symptoms (SAA). The results indicated that these subjects showed smaller increments in HR and E.4 during SSC than during SSA and SSB. Likewise, increments in responses were smaller in SSB than in SSA (p<O.01). Regarding DH and SAA, it was seen that response increments were greater in SSC than in SSA but lower than in SSB (p<0.01). The results are discussed in the context of the environmental specificity model of anticipatory responses to the effects of heroin.