Understanding the Global Problem of Drug Addiction is a Challenge for IDARS Scientists

IDARS is an acronym for the International Drug Abuse Research Society. Apart from our scientific and educational purposes, we communicate information to the general and scientific community about substance abuse and addiction science and treatment potential. Members of IDARS are research scientists and clinicians from around the world, with scheduled meetings across the globe. IDARS is developing a vibrant and exciting international mechanism not only for scientific interactions in the domain of addiction between countries but also ultimately as a resource for informing public policy across nations. Nonetheless, a lot more research needs to be done to better understand the neurobiological basis of drug addiction – A challenge for IDARS scientists

Hypertonic saline mimics the effects of vasopressin and social recognition in rats

International audienc

Septal vasopressin modulates social memory in male rats

International audienc

Vasopressin and learning : peripheral and central mechanisms

International audienc

The Propensity for Schedule-Induced Polydipsia is Related to Differences in Conditioned Avoidance Behaviour and in Defense Reactions in a Defeat Test

In line with previous research showing that animals predisposed to develop schedule-induced polydipsia when submitted to intermittent distribution of food show differential behavioural and neurochemical characteristics, the present experiments investigated the nature of defense reactions to aversive situations in rats that do or do not develop schedule-induced polydipsia. It was found that rats that engage in excessive drinking during intermittent feeding display more rapid active avoidance learning in a 2-way shuttle-box and show less freezing when confronted with an aggressive resident male in a defeat test than those that do not develop schedule-induced polydipsia. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that individual differences in the propensity to exhibit oral consummatory activities in conditions of mild stress are related to the ability to shift behavioural programmes in response to external stimulation.