High impulsivity predicts the switch to compulsive cocaine-taking.
Both impulsivity and novelty-seeking have been suggested to be behavioral markers of the propensity to take addictive drugs. However, their relevance for the vulnerability to compulsively seek and take drugs, which is a hallmark feature of addiction, is unknown. We report here that, whereas high reactivity to novelty predicts the propensity to initiate cocaine self-administration, high impulsivity predicts the development of addiction-like behavior in rats, including persistent or compulsive drug-taking in the face of aversive outcomes. This study shows experimental evidence that a shift from impulsivity to compulsivity occurs during the development of addictive behavior, which provides insights into the genesis and neural mechanisms of drug addiction.
Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK. bdb26@cam.ac.uk
David
D
Belin
Adam C
AC
Mar
Jeffrey W
JW
Dalley
Trevor W
TW
Robbins
Barry J
BJ
Everitt
D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D003192:Compulsive Behavior; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009043:Motor Activity; D051381:Rats; D012646:Self Administration
D003042:Cocaine