Conditioned Place PreferencePharmacological
Background: C57BL/6J
Reward SensitivityHigh — robust preference shift after 3-4 drug-context pairings
Withdrawal SeverityMinimal — short drug exposure insufficient for physical dependence
Relapse VulnerabilityModerate — CPP can be extinguished and reinstated by drug priming
Test Window8-12 weeks
Animals learn to associate a distinct environmental context (visual, tactile, or olfactory cues) with the rewarding effects of a drug. The time spent in the drug-paired versus vehicle-paired compartment on the test day quantifies the conditioned rewarding properties of the substance. CPP is Pavlovian rather than instrumental, measuring the incentive value of drug-associated cues without requiring the animal to perform an operant response.
Ideal for: Rapid, high-throughput screening of the rewarding or aversive properties of novel compounds. Also widely used for studying the neural substrates of reward memory and the effects of genetic manipulations on drug reward sensitivity.
Tzschentke TM. (2007). Measuring reward with the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm: update of the last decade. Addict Biol, 12(3-4), 227-462. PMID: 17678505
Conditioned Place Preference Behavioral Battery
Open Field Test
Assesses baseline and drug-induced locomotor activity to complement CPP data with acute psychomotor effects.
View Open Field Test→Elevated Plus Maze
Measures anxiety-like behavior during drug withdrawal or abstinence periods in CPP-conditioned animals.
View Elevated Plus Maze→Social Interaction Test
Evaluates social motivation and withdrawal-induced social deficits that accompany drug conditioning.
View Social Interaction Test→IV Self-AdministrationSurgical
Background: C57BL/6J
Reward SensitivityHigh — direct dose-response measurement via breakpoint analysis
Withdrawal SeveritySevere — extended access protocols produce escalation and somatic withdrawal
Relapse VulnerabilityHigh — cue-, stress-, and drug-primed reinstatement fully modeled
Test Window8-14 weeks
Animals are implanted with a chronic indwelling jugular catheter and trained to press a lever or nose-poke to receive intravenous drug infusions in an operant chamber. The model captures the volitional, instrumental nature of human drug taking. Extended access sessions (6+ hours) produce escalation of intake, compulsive seeking despite punishment, and robust reinstatement after extinction — hallmarks of severe addiction.
Ideal for: Gold-standard model for studying the motivation to self-administer drugs, dose-response relationships, escalation of intake, and the three major triggers of relapse (drug priming, drug-associated cues, and stress). Essential for preclinical medication development.
Panlilio LV, Goldberg SR. (2007). Self-administration of drugs in animals and humans as a model and an investigative tool. Addiction, 102(12), 1863-1870. PMID: 18031422
IV Self-Administration Behavioral Battery
Operant Conditioning
Core apparatus for self-administration training — progressive ratio schedules measure motivation to obtain drug.
View Operant Conditioning→Self Administration Chamber
Specialized chamber with infusion pump interface for intravenous drug delivery contingent on operant responding.
View Self Administration Chamber→Elevated Plus Maze
Assesses withdrawal-induced anxiety during abstinence periods between self-administration sessions.
View Elevated Plus Maze→Sucrose Preference Test
Measures anhedonia during drug withdrawal, indicating negative affective state that drives relapse.
View Sucrose Preference Test→Open Field Test
Evaluates psychomotor sensitization and withdrawal-related hypolocomotion across the drug-taking timeline.
View Open Field Test→Locomotor SensitizationPharmacological
Background: C57BL/6J
Reward SensitivityProgressive increase — enhanced dopamine release with repeated exposure
Withdrawal SeverityMild — typical protocols use intermittent dosing without dependence
Relapse VulnerabilityModerate — sensitized response persists for weeks to months after withdrawal
Test Window8-12 weeks
Repeated intermittent administration of psychostimulants (cocaine, amphetamine) or other drugs produces a progressive and long-lasting enhancement of the locomotor-activating effects. This behavioral sensitization reflects neuroplastic changes in mesolimbic dopamine neurons, including enhanced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and structural remodeling of dendritic spines in medium spiny neurons. The sensitized state can persist for months after drug cessation.
Ideal for: Investigating the neuroplastic mechanisms underlying incentive sensitization — the progressive amplification of drug "wanting" that Robinson and Berridge proposed as a core addiction process. Also used for studying cross-sensitization between drugs and stress.
Robinson TE, Berridge KC. (1993). The neural basis of drug craving: an incentive-sensitization theory of addiction. Brain Res Rev, 18(3), 247-291. PMID: 8401595
Locomotor Sensitization Behavioral Battery
Open Field Test
Primary readout for locomotor sensitization — automated tracking quantifies distance traveled across repeated drug challenges.
View Open Field Test→Elevated Plus Maze
Assesses anxiety phenotype during sensitization induction and expression phases.
View Elevated Plus Maze→Two-Bottle ChoicePharmacological
Background: C57BL/6J
Reward SensitivityStrain-dependent — C57BL/6J show high preference (>70% ethanol)
Withdrawal SeverityMild to moderate — handling-induced convulsions after chronic intake
Relapse VulnerabilityModerate — alcohol deprivation effect (increased intake after abstinence)
Test Window8-16 weeks
Animals are given continuous or intermittent access to two bottles — one containing ethanol (typically 10-20% v/v) and one containing water. Consumption is measured daily by bottle weight. The C57BL/6J strain is preferred because it voluntarily consumes pharmacologically relevant amounts of ethanol (12-15 g/kg/day). Intermittent access schedules (24 hours on, 24 hours off) produce escalation of intake over weeks, modeling binge-like drinking patterns.
Ideal for: Studying voluntary alcohol consumption, preference, and escalation in a non-surgical paradigm. The model is well-suited for high-throughput genetic studies, pharmacological screening of alcohol-reducing compounds, and investigating the alcohol deprivation effect as a relapse-like phenomenon.
Belknap JK, et al. (1993). Voluntary consumption of ethanol in 15 inbred mouse strains. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 112(4), 503-510. PMID: 7871064
Two-Bottle Choice Behavioral Battery
Sucrose Preference Test
Controls for general taste preference and anhedonia, distinguishing ethanol reward from caloric or sweet preference.
View Sucrose Preference Test→Open Field Test
Measures ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation at low doses and sedation at high doses.
View Open Field Test→Elevated Plus Maze
Evaluates anxiolytic effects of ethanol and withdrawal-induced anxiety during abstinence.
View Elevated Plus Maze→
