Experimental human drug self administration: metholdology and application to the study of sedative abuse

The present study demonstrates that one can establish conditions, within an experimental context, under which human sedative self administration can be observed, measured, and to a degree influenced by prevailing environmental conditions. The model developed, based on previous research with human ethanol self administration, provides for the establishment of stable performance under constant conditions and the sensitivity of that performance to the effects of manipulable experimental variables. The authors' contention is that stability and sensitivity of drug self administration behaviors are an essential prerequisite to systematic experimental analysis of human sedative self administration determinants.