ENDORPHINS AND BRAIN REWARD MECHANISMS

动物学会执行的行为，如果他们得到适当的加强 在这样做的时候。 然而，并不是所有的奖励都会导致人们可以接受的行为。 一种文化，例如，吸毒行为。 因此，获得一个 更好地理解大脑奖赏的解剖学和神经化学 机制，既为它的启发性以及实用价值。 许多 研究大脑奖赏的实验模型已经被开发出来， 包括自我管理，位置偏好和大脑刺激 （ICS）。 大多数都集中在一个单一的模式。 这个项目是 旨在弥合大脑化学和行为之间的差距， 提供解剖学和神经化学机制的见解 促进对奖励的行为反应的表达， 令人厌恶的环境刺激 内源性阿片肽已经被 作为这些刺激的媒介。 为此，在体内 阿片受体的放射自显影（受体占有率的测量， 因此提出了内啡肽能活性的标志物）。 这将 在强化行为期间提供大脑阿片活性的“快照” 并验证是否存在特定的化学/解剖回路， 产生并维持奖励行为。具体来说，动物将 接受过培训，能够在有或没有 环境应激源，脚震 阿片类药物的双重性质 镇痛和奖赏暗示了大脑机制之间的密切关系 处理这些品质。 对于一个有机体来说， 环境中，必须执行关于 环境线索的相对情感品质。 的目的 项目是检查神经化学和解剖变化， 而动物却在做这样的行为 长期目标 项目是假设布赖恩机制的新奇性和/或 奖励的共性。 这可能会导致人们猜测， 滥用药物对这种假定的奖励回路的影响水平， 也许会导致更好的理解和药理学修改， 中断兴奋剂、阿片类药物、酒精 等等，其可以在受体水平（即， 纳洛酮）或通过干预独立于药物的“奖励”位点， 直接的行动地点。

Animals learn to perform behaviors if they are appropriately reinforced when doing so. However, not all rewards lead to behaviors acceptable to a culture, e.g., drug-seeking behavior. It is thus critical to obtain a better understanding of the anatomy and neurochemistry of brain reward mechanisms, both for its heuristic as well as practical value. Numerous experimental models for studying brain reward have been developed, including self-administration, place preference and brain stimulation (ICS). Most have concentrated on a single modality. This project is designed to bridge the gap between brain chemistry and behavior by providing insights into the anatomic and neurochemical mechanisms subserving the expression of behavioral responses to rewarding and aversive environmental stimuli. Endogenous opioid peptides have been implicated as mediators of these stimuli. To this end, in vivo autoradiography of opiate receptors (a measure of receptor occupancy and thus a marker of endorphinergic activity) is being proposed. This will provide a "snapshot' of brain opiate activity during reinforced behaviors and verify the existence of specific chemical/anatomic circuits which engender and maintain reward behavior. Specifically, animals will be trained to respond for ICSm with or without superimposition of an environmental stressor--footshock. The dual properties of opioids in analgesia and reward implies a close relation between brain mechanisms processing these qualities. For an organism to survive in its environment, continuous discriminations must be performed about the relative affective qualities of environmental cues. The aim of this project is to examine the neurochemical and anatomic changes which occur while an animal performs such behaviors. Long-term objectives of this project are to postulate brian mechanisms of the novelty and/or commonality of reward. This may then lead to speculations about the level at which abused drugs impact on this putative reward circuitry, leading perhaps to better understanding and pharmacologic modification or interruption of he reinforcing efficacy of stimulants, opiates, alcohol, etc., which might be directed either at the receptor level (i.e., naltrexone) or by intervening at "reward" sites independent of the drug's direct sites of action.