Stimulant drugs also increase PFC activity in laboratory animals. For example, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in drug-naive rhesus monkeys increased in DLPFC after non-contingent administration and in ACC during a simple fixed-rate self-administration of cocaine15,16. A PET FDG study in the same animal model showed that cocaine self-administration increased metabolism in OFC and ACC to a greater extent when access to cocaine was extended than when access was limited17 (note that extended access, but not limited or short access, is associated with transition from moderate to excessive drug intake, as occurs in addiction18). Similarly, intracerebroventricular administration of cocaine in rats induced a large fMRI response in selected brain regions, including PFC19.
