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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021 Aug 27;228:108985. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108985

Table 1.

Definitions of withdrawal-related behaviors.

Behavior Definition
Prone/Lean Posture Laying chest facing down on bottom of cage and/or leaning against side of cage, eyes open.
Nose Rub Repeated displacement of nose/muzzle from midline by either limb or cage bar.
Lip Droop Extended and flaccid lower lip.
Vomit/Retch Disgorging stomach contents through the mouth or making an effort to do so (often accompanied by “gagging” sound); may not expel vomitus but its presence is assumed by extension of cheek pouch and/or chewing/swallowing.
Rigid Posture Grasping cage with arms extended, appears to flex and/or stretch torso
Tremor/Jerk Involuntary, rhythmic muscle contraction leading to shaking/jerking movements in one or more parts of the body
Seizure Tonic, clonic, or both: Tonic is indicated by contraction of muscle groups, usually taking the form of extension of back and neck followed by limbs; Clonic is indicated by mild, repetitive tremor followed by brief, violent, rhythmic flexor spasms over entire body.