The present study was focused on evaluation of locomotor cross-sensitization between nicotine and ethanol in mice. First, we demonstrated that, after 5 daily injections, nicotine (0.5 mg/kg, ip) produced sensitization to its own locomotor stimulant effect. Moreover, nicotine-experienced mice manifested an enhanced response to ethanol challenge (2 g/kg, ip) indicating the development of cross-se...

It is increasingly well accepted that addiction can be viewed as a form of neuronal plasticity, even as a type of very powerful, albeit maladaptive, learning. On a behavioral level, this can be conceptualized as the transition from experimentation to compulsive drug-seeking behavior. This view of addiction has been strengthened by many recent studies demonstrating commonalities between mechanis...

Synaptic plasticity in the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system is thought to contribute to the neural adaptations that mediate behavioral sensitization, a model for core aspects of addiction. Recently, it has been demonstrated that multiple classes of drugs of abuse, as well as acute stress, enhance strength at excitatory synapses on midbrain DA neurons. Here, we show that both the cocaine- and str...

Received: December 08, 2016; Accepted: December 26, 2016; Published: December 30, 2016 Drug addiction is a chronic and enduring phenomenon that has been extensively investigated in the last decades. Over the years, different animal models have been designed to contribute to the elucidation of the neurobiological processes involved in relapse behavior and to evaluate potential pharmacotherapies ...

Rebekah Stevenson: Characterization of Adolescent and Adult Ethanol Sensitization (Under the direction of Dr. Clyde Hodge) Alcoholism is a serious health problem that affects the lives of millions of people worldwide. People that first experiment with alcohol as adolescents are at a greater risk to become alcoholics. The adolescent brain may be particularly vulnerable to druginduced neuroadapta...

The increasing prescription of opioids is fueling an epidemic of addiction and overdose deaths. Morphine is a highly addictive drug characterized by a high relapse rate - even after a long period of abstinence. Serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission participates in the development of morphine dependence, as well as the expression of morphine withdrawal. In this study, we examined the effect of bloc...

Repeated cocaine exposure causes persistent, maladaptive alterations in brain and behavior, and hope for effective therapeutics lies in understanding these processes. We describe here an essential role for fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), an RNA-binding protein and regulator of dendritic protein synthesis, in cocaine conditioned place preference, behavioral sensitization, and motor ...