Abstract
Conditioned hyperalgesia in the presence of the contextual stimuli of heroin: temporal specificity of the abstinence. Study 1. The goal of this study was to detecte in persons detoxified of heroin, responses in the presence of contextual stimuli of this drug, that are opposite to the analgesic and subjective effects that are induced by this substance. The basic procedure consisted in presenting of electric shock (ES) after the presentation of slides with images of neutral stimuli (NSs) and/or conditioned stimuli (CSs) of heroin, to both non-addicted and detoxified addicted persons in four consecutive daily sessions. The evaluated responses were heart rate (HR) and autoperception of abstinence symptoms (AAS). Results showed that the detoxified addicted subjects responded with greater increments in HR and AAS, after the presentation of ES, in the presence of the CSs than in the presence of the NSs, and there were greater than those responses by non-addicted subjects after the presentation of the same ES in the presence of the same CSs. These results are discussed in the context of the environmental specificity model of abstinence syndrome. Study 2. The goal was to study temporal specificity of the abstinence in persons detoxified of heroin. The procedure consisted in presenting of ES after the presentation of two films with images of NSs or CSs, to both non-addicted and detoxified addicted persons, in the morning and in the evening. The evaluated responses were HR and AAS. Results showed temporal conditioning of the abstinence.
