Behavioral methods for the assessment of alcohol tolerance and dependence.

The effect of ethanol (ALC) on human and animal behavior is readily apparent, but careful use of behavioral measures can provide sensitive and precise descriptions of the actions of ALC and the development of tolerance and dependence. Many of the most useful behavioral methods are reviewed in this report, as well as data from studies that used self-administration (SA) techniques. Intragastric SA experiments with monkeys illustrate the establishment of a durable animal model that exhibits many similarities to human drinking patterns. Recent intravenous SA experiments demonstrated that an opiate antagonist, naltrexone HCl, produces significant decreases in the intravenous SA of ALC, a finding that implicates central opiate systems in the reinforcing effects of ALC.