Title

Pavlovian conditioning and death from apparent overdose of medically prescribed morphine: A case report

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society

Publication Date

1-1-1986

Abstract

A Pavlovian conditioning model of tolerance emphasizes the contribution of an association between predrug cues and the systemic effect of the drug to the display of tolerance. In agreement with the model, results of a recent animal experiment, as well as retrospective reports by human overdose victims, indicate that the pernicious effects of heroin are influenced by environmental cues associated with the systemic effects of the drug. The present case report describes an in stance of death from apparent morphine overdose in a patient receiving the drug for medical purposes. The circumstances of this death are readily interpretable by the conditioning analysis of tolerance. © 1986, Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.

Volume

24

Issue

4

First Page

278

Last Page

280

DOI

10.3758/BF03330140

ISSN

00905054

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