Human drug discrimination: A primer and methodological review

Area of Science:

• Behavioral pharmacology
• Neuroscience
• Psychopharmacology

Background:

• Drug discrimination procedures assess the behavioral control exerted by internal drug states.
• This method is crucial for understanding the neuropharmacological basis of drug effects.
• Historically, it has been a cornerstone assay in behavioral pharmacology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the history, theoretical concepts, and principles of drug discrimination research.
• To discuss the relevance of drug discrimination to substance-use disorders.
• To provide an overview of human drug discrimination studies and methodological considerations.

Main Methods:

• Empirical evaluation of drug states' control over behavior.
• Differential reinforcement of behavior contingent on interoceptive drug stimuli.
• Adaptation of preclinical techniques for human studies.

Main Results:

• Drug discrimination is a sophisticated in vivo assay for neuropharmacology.
• Human drug discrimination studies parallel preclinical models.
• Despite utility, research enthusiasm has waned over the past 15 years.

Conclusions:

• Drug discrimination remains a valuable tool for investigating drug effects.
• Current trends suggest a need to re-evaluate and potentially revitalize its application.
• Future research should explore new avenues to leverage this sophisticated assay.