Behavioral and neurochemical studies in distinct animal models of ethanol's motivational effects.

Behavioral and neurochemical studies in distinct animal models of ethanol's motivational effects. Curr Drug Abuse Rev. 2010 Dec;3(4):205-21 Authors: Camarini R, Pautassi RM, Méndez M, Quadros IM, Souza-Formigoni ML, Boerngen-Lacerda R Abstract In the last decades, the goal of creating a unique and complete model of alcohol use and alcoholism has been replaced by a myriad of different animal models, each addressing a specific feature of problematic alcohol consumption. This mini-review highlights selected findings in the field of alcohol abuse and dependence, as found through the use of animal models. There are models (e.g., drinking in the dark, drinking after alcohol adulteration or alcohol deprivation) in which animals self-administer alcohol, that are useful to analyze determinants and consequences of binge drinking, progression from casual to problematic alcohol use and relapse or loss of control over alcohol drinking. In other models (e.g., conditioned place preference, conditioned taste aversion, ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization) alcohol dosing is precisely controlled by the experimenter. These models are useful to study motivational (i.e, appetitive, aversive and negative reinforcing) effects of alcohol and neuroadaptive changes that occur after repeated alcohol exposure. The study of age-related differences in reactivity to alcohol provides yet another avenue for analyzing alcohol's acute and chronic consequences. Et...
Source: Current Drug Abuse Reviews - Category: Addiction Tags: Curr Drug Abuse Rev Source Type: research