Animal Models of Addiction-Prone and –Protected Behavioral Phenotypes

Nathan A. Holtz1 and Marilyn E. Carroll21Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA2Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MNAnimal models have... [ view full abstract ]

Nathan A. Holtz¹ and Marilyn E. Carroll²

¹Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

²Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Animal models have employed selection or selective breeding practices based on phenotypic traits related to substance use disorders, enhancing our understanding of the role genes play in the vulnerability to such compulsive behaviors. Rodent models, in particular, have shown that some behavioral traits are under strong genetic influence and positively associated with drug intake, similar to human populations. For instance, rats that are selected or selectively bred for high impulsivity, sweet preference or emotional reactivity consume greater quantities of addictive drugs compared to rats with low measurements on these behaviors. This presentation will review a number of rat models of phenotypic vulnerability to and protection from drug abuse.  It will compare and contrast these models and evaluate whether they provide evidence for one or multiple addiction-prone phenotypes, and assess the potential utility of these models in predicting clinical outcomes in treating substance use disorders.Research supported by NIDA grants R01 DA02486 and P50 DA033942 (MC)