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Can Rats Be Addicted to Opiates?

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Abstract

Rats have frequently served as Ss in experimental investigations of opiate addiction. Although a physiological withdrawal syndrome occurs when drug administration is terminated, there is some confusion in explicit designation of significant parameters of the dependent variables acceptable as indicants of addiction. This critical review considers the variety of methods employed and the degree to which Es have interpreted their results in generalizing to human addiction. In the absence of data indicating an unequivocal and continuing demand characteristic, it is legitimate to question the validity of the historic premise that rats can be addicted and that the rat model can serve as a scaled version of human drug dependency.

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  1. Research Department, E. R. Johnstone Training and Research Center, Bordentown, New Jersey, 08505, USA

    Donald H. Thor

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Thor, D.H. Can Rats Be Addicted to Opiates?. Psychol Rec 22, 289–303 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394094

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