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Pavlovian conditioning of drug reactions: Some implications for problems of drug addiction

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Abstract

This paper reviews the classical conditioning of drug reactions, with special emphasis on the relationship of this phenomenon to drug addiction. Several aspects of drug addiction such as drug craving, high relapse tendencies, and the recurrence of withdrawal symptoms are reviewed and interpreted in light of classical conditioning theory and data. A theory is proposed that attempts to account for various aspects of the addictive process. The implications and empirical methods for testing this theory are outlined.

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The writing of this paper was supported in part by contract number DActa 17-73-C-3030 from the U.S. Army.

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Lynch, J.J., Fertziger, A.P., Teitelbaum, H.A. et al. Pavlovian conditioning of drug reactions: Some implications for problems of drug addiction. Conditional Reflex 8, 211–223 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03000677

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