Evidence for addiction-like behavior in the rat.
Although the voluntary intake of drugs of abuse is a behavior largely preserved throughout phylogeny, it is currently unclear whether pathological drug use ("addiction") can be observed in species other than humans. Here, we report that behaviors that resemble three of the essential diagnostic criteria for addiction appear over time in rats trained to self-administer cocaine. As in humans, this addiction-like behavior is present only in a small proportion of subjects using cocaine and is highly predictive of relapse after withdrawal. These findings provide a new basis for developing a true understanding and treatment of addiction.
INSERM U588, Laboratoire de Physiopathologie des Comportements, Bordeaux Institute for Neurosciences, University Victor Segalen-Bordeaux 2, Domaine de Carreire, Rue Camille Saint-Saëns, 33077 Bordeaux Cedex, France.
Véronique
V
Deroche-Gamonet
David
D
Belin
Pier Vincenzo
PV
Piazza
D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders; D003463:Cues; D004597:Electroshock; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009042:Motivation; D009043:Motor Activity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012201:Reward; D012646:Self Administration; D013997:Time Factors
D003042:Cocaine