Comparison of pre-pulse inhibition, tactile discrimination learning and barrel cortical neural response in adult male rats following chronic exposure to morphine, methadone and buprenorphine

Chronic exposure to opioids is the most common treatment plan to reduce the pain. In this study, the stereotyped behaviors and cognitive functions related to different types of tactile and auditory inputs were investigated in the rats following chronic exposure to the morphine, methadone, and buprenorphine. Here, three addicted groups received morphine, methadone, and buprenorphine while the control rats received saline for 21 days. Our results demonstrated that the opioid-treated groups showed stereotyped behaviors including grooming and rearing. In the behavioral level, prepulse inhibition and preference indices were not changed significantly in the opioids-treated groups compared to those of the saline group as two criteria for acoustic startle reflex and tactile discrimination, respectively. In the neuronal level, chronic morphine and methadone treatment changed the response properties of the barrel cortical neurons to the whisker deflections in the experimental groups compared to the saline group. Thus, it was concluded that the excitatory receptive fields of neurons in the barrel cortex can be changed as a result of chronic exposure to morphine and methadone.