The effects of methadone on the social behavior and activity of the rat.

Pairs of 80-day-old female rats were given SC injections of either 0, 1, 2.5, or 4 mg/kg of methadone hydrochloride on each of 6 days. Both animals of the pair received the same dose. One hour postinjection, each pair was observed in a circular arena for a five minute period during which the following dependent measures were recorded: total time in contact, latency to initial contact, frequency of aggressive grooms, and locomotor activity. The results indicated that the rats treated with methadone spent less time in contact, took longer to contact, and aggressively groomed each other less frequently than rats treated with a saline vehicle. Also, the results suggested that the disruption of social behavior produced by methadone was not a reflection of decreased activity levels.