This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Koob, G. F. Articles by Weiss, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Koob, G. F. Articles by Weiss, F. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Substance dependence as a compulsive behavior

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

M. Rocio

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

A. Carrera

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

Lisa H. Gold

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

Charles J. Heyser

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

Carmen Maldonado-Irizarry

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

Athina Markou

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

Loren H. Parsons

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

Amanda J. Roberts

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

Gery Schulteis

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

Luis Stinus

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

John R. Walker

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

Ruth Weissenborn

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

Friedbert Weiss

Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

A compulsion to take a drug combined with a loss of control in limiting intake is the defining feature of substance dependence or addiction, and is the conceptual framework for the criteria of substance dependence or addiction outlined by the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association. However, defining exactly what constitutes loss of control and compulsive drug taking at the level of animal models is a daunting task, and it is clear that no validated animal model exists for the whole syndrome of addiction. The present discussion redefines loss of control as a narrowing of the behavioral repertoire toward drug-seeking behavior and suggests that there are many sources of reinforcement that contribute to this behavioral focus on drug seeking. Evidence is presented demonstrating separate animal models for many of these sources of reinforcement as well as for most of the criteria for substance dependence. Evidence is also presented showing that the brain neurochemical systems involved in processing drug reward are altered by chronic drug exposure to contribute additional sources of reinforcement. Challenges for the future involve not only elucidation of the neurobiological substrates of the different behavioral components of addiction, but better animal models of these components with which to effect such studies.

Key Words: animal models • compulsive • drug abuse

Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 12, No. 1, 39-48 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/026988119801200106


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?