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Rapid, transient potentiation of dendritic spines in context-induced relapse to cocaine seeking

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Addiction to cocaine produces long-lasting, stable changes in brain synaptic physiology that might contribute to the vulnerability to relapse. In humans, exposure to environmental contexts previously paired with drug use precipitates relapse, but the neurobiological mechanisms mediating this process are unknown. Initiation of cocaine relapse via re-exposure to a drug-associated context elicited reinstatement of cocaine seeking as well as rapid, transient synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore), measured as an increase in dendritic spine diameter. These results show that rapid context-evoked synaptic potentiation in the NAcore may underpin relapse to cocaine use.

Source: Addiction Biology

DOI: 10.1111/adb.12064

Authors: Neringa M. Stankeviciute, Michael D. Scofield, Peter W. Kalivas, Cassandra D. Gipson

Institutions: Medical University of South Carolina, College of Charleston

Language: English

Topic: Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute on Drug Abuse