title: Experimental Models on Effects of Psychostimulants.
abstract: Psychostimulants are a diverse group of substances that cause an increase in psychomotor activity at least in part through their actions on catecholaminergic systems including the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathways. Animal models used to study addiction are based on the psychomotor stimulant theory of addiction. The basics of this theory are that the reinforcing effects and the addition liabilities of the drugs can be predicted from their ability to induce psychomotor activation. This approach focuses on the ability of the drugs to directly control the animal's behavior and to induce psychomotor stimulation, and is consistent with the behavioral definition of addiction and behavioral sensitization. Animal experiments have the advantage over clinical studies of lower variation and fewer confounding effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. Electronic address: sulev.koks@ut.ee.
authors.forename: Sulev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kõks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants
keywords: Animal models; Mesocorticolimbic pathway; Neurochemistry; Psychomotor stimulant theory; Psychostimulants