Substance Use Disorders: Cessation of drug self-administration

To explore potential therapeutic interventions for achieving abstinence, we can utilise the self-administration model in rats and evaluate whether test compounds reduce drug intake. This model had demonstrated translational value for mechanisms which reduce the reinforcing value of the drug of abuse.

Progressive ratio schedules and breakpoint analysis can be used to quantify how novel treatments influence the motivation/persistence of the animal to self-administer known drugs of abuse

Repeated administration of the opioid agonist buprenorphine reduces the motivation of rats to self-administer remifentanil, using a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement.

We also offer withdrawal alleviation approach, reinstatement model of drug relapse and locomotor sensitization