Bingeing rats: a model of intermittent excessive behavior?

Intermittent excessive behaviors (IEB) characterize a variety human disorders including binge eating, drug abuse, alcoholism, aberrant sexual conduct, and compulsive gambling. Clinical co-morbidity exists among IEB, and limited treatment options are available. The use of behavioral models of bingeing and other feeding protocols is beginning to clarify neural similarities and differences that exist between IEB directed toward obtaining and consuming food and IEB directed toward obtaining and consuming drugs of abuse. Research from this laboratory using a limited access binge-type eating protocol may provide new insight into IEB.