Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2004 Aug 13;305(5686):1014-7.
doi: 10.1126/science.1099020.

Evidence for addiction-like behavior in the rat

Affiliations
Free article

Evidence for addiction-like behavior in the rat

Véronique Deroche-Gamonet et al. Science. .
Free article

Abstract

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.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Neuroscience. Addicted rats.
    Robinson TE. Robinson TE. Science. 2004 Aug 13;305(5686):951-3. doi: 10.1126/science.1102496. Science. 2004. PMID: 15310881 No abstract available.

Similar articles

Cited by

Publication types

-