Synthetic Cathinones and Their Rewarding and Reinforcing Effects in Rodents

Figure 3

The ICSS paradigm for assessment of the ability of synthetic cathinones to affect brain reward function. Upon pressing of one of two levers (designated the active lever) in an operant self-administration chamber (right), a computer-controlled current generator (left) delivers pulses of electrical current to an indwelling bipolar electrode implanted into the MFB. Current can be delivered to the electrode at various intensities and frequencies in a variety of paradigms involving multiple trials in order to determine baseline and drug-induced shifts in current intensity thresholds or frequency response curves. See text for further details.