In experiments, rats worked much harder to get an additional dose of the bath-salt compound methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) than they did to get an additional dose of meth: The rats pressed a lever an average of 600 times to get the MDPV compared with an average of 60 times to get the meth.
The study also showed that
MDPV acts as a classical stimulant in rats. After taking the drug, the rats became highly active and repeatedly licked, bit and sniffed, showing the typical response to stimulants, according to the study, published Wednesday (July 10) in the journal Neuropharmacology.
The findings suggest that MDPV poses an even greater risk of abuse than meth does, the researchers said.
"MDPV is more effective than methamphetamine — it's rewarding, and more pleasurable to the animal," said study researcher Michael Taffe, a psychologist at the Scripps Research Institute.