Reward and abuse of opiates

The dependence creating properties of drugs are mediated by structures in the brain. The mesolimbic system seems to play a crucial role in the behaviourally reinforcing effects of opiates and other drugs of abuse. The significance of dopamine in opiate reinforcement is still a matter of debate, in spite of the large number of studies on this subject. Dopamine appears to be involved in conditioning processes and in drug self-administration behaviour only once it has been established. Neuropeptides, centrally active fragments of hormones, may play a role in the individual vulnerability for the development of drug dependence. Administration of a number of wellknown neuropeptides attenuates the acquisition of drug self-administration behaviour. The virtues and flaws of some widely used animal models for drug dependence are discussed.