Neuroadaptations in the dorsal hippocampus underlie cocaine seeking during prolonged abstinence

Involvement of the dorsal striatum in cue-controlled cocaine seeking.

Through association with the interoceptive effects of drugs of abuse, neutral environmental stimuli can gain motivational properties themselves, becoming conditioned reinforcers that can evoke craving and relapse to drug seeking. Nucleus accumbens dopamine (DA) neurotransmission plays an important role in the reinforcing effect of cocaine itself, but, unlike nucleus accumbens glutamate, it seem...

Neuronal pentraxins modulate cocaine-induced neuroadaptations.

Neuronal pentraxins (NPs) function in the extracellular matrix to bind alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors. Three NPs have been described, neuronal activity-regulated pentraxin (Narp), which is regulated as an immediate early gene, NP1, and neuronal pentraxin receptor (NPR). Narp and NP1 enhance synaptogenesis and glutamate signaling by clustering AMPA rece...

Cocaine-associated stimuli increase cocaine seeking and activate accumbens core neurons after abstinence.

Electrophysiological recordings were completed in rats (n = 14) trained to self-administer cocaine to determine whether activation of nucleus accumbens (Acb) neurons (core vs shell) by cocaine-associated stimuli is enhanced after 1 month of cocaine abstinence. After self-administration training, 170 cells were recorded during a single test session conducted either the next day or 1 month later....

Neuroadaptations underlying relapse to heroin seeking

Brain Structural and Functional Changes in Cocaine Users during Abstinence

Stimulant abuse, particularly cocaine abuse is an important public health concern, as according to 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (SAMHSA, 2013) [1], there are 1.5 million current cocaine users in the United States and costs to the society for drug abuse including cocaine abuse are calculated to be $62 billion (NDCS, 1997) [2]. Utilizing brain imaging techniques and neuropsychologi...