Neurobiological mechanisms in the transition from drug use to drug dependence.

George F Koob, Serge H Ahmed, Benjamin Boutrel, Scott A Chen, Paul J Kenny, Athina Markou, Laura E O'Dell, Loren H Parsons, Pietro Paolo Sanna
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2004-01-01; 27(8): 739-749
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2003.11.007

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1. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2004 Jan;27(8):739-49.

Neurobiological mechanisms in the transition from drug use to drug dependence.

Koob GF(1), Ahmed SH, Boutrel B, Chen SA, Kenny PJ, Markou A, O’Dell LE, Parsons
LH, Sanna PP.

Author information:
(1)Department of Neuropharmacology, CVN-7, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550
North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug
intake, loss of control over intake, and impairment in social and occupational
function. Animal models have been developed for various stages of the addiction
cycle with a focus in our work on the motivational effects of drug dependence. A
conceptual framework focused on allostatic changes in reward function that lead
to excessive drug intake provides a heuristic framework with which to identify
the neurobiologic mechanisms involved in the development of drug addiction.
Neuropharmacologic studies in animal models have provided evidence for the
dysregulation of specific neurochemical mechanisms in specific brain reward and
stress circuits that provide the negative motivational state that drives
addiction. The allostatic model integrates molecular, cellular and circuitry
neuroadaptations in brain motivational systems produced by chronic drug ingestion
with genetic vulnerability, and provides a new opportunity to translate advances
in animal studies to the human condition.

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2003.11.007
PMID: 15019424 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

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