The reinforcing, or rewarding properties of a drug can be determined by testing whether or not an animal will self-administer the compound. To date, it has been found that all addicting drugs used by humans have similar effects on non-human primates, except for marijuana and hallucinogens. This type of research yields valuable information about the potential abuse of newly developed drugs by comparing the effects with those of drugs that are known to be addicting. Animal research has also shown how important learning factors are in the maintenance and relapse of drug-seeking behavior. With the constant development of new drugs it is important to be able to evaluate the potential for dependence in animals before being marketed for human use.
Animal research can also provide insights into the multiple factors responsible for drug abuse.
For instance, identifying the exact neural systems involved in producing the reinforcing effects of drugs may stimulate the development of drugs which selectively block these effects as a treatment for drug abuse. Similarly, animal research will help in understanding how to treat psychological depend-ence by allowing us to study the behavioral and environmental factors involved in drug abuse. Future research is aimed at developing specific pharmacologic treatments to prevent or attenuate drug abuse. Further research may lead to the development of treatments for other abused drugs such as cocaine. A complementary approach to pharmacologic therapy is behavioral therapy which may reduce drug-seeking behavior and craving.