Question

What is the animal model of conditioned place preference? How and why is this model used in drug addiction science? What information do such tests inform us about?

Answer 1

The conditioned place preference refers to a behavioral model used to study the rewarding and aversive effects of drugs. The basic characteristics of the tasks in this model involve the animal making the association of a particular environment with drug treatment (drug-paired compartment), followed by the association of a different environment with the absence of the drug (vehicle-paired compartment). A conditioned place preference is found if the animals spend significantly more time in the drug-paired compartment versus the vehicle-paired compartment.

It has been found that  drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, produce conditioned place preference among the animals. Using this model, it is also possible to trace the temporal profile of drugs as well as the aversive effects of withdrawal. Furthermore, conditioned place preference can also be used to convey information with respect to the neural circuits involved in drug reward.