MECHANISMS OF ENVIROMENTAL INFLUENCES ON COCAINE REWARD

年，可卡因和其他药物的使用和滥用有所增加。 最近几年。这种使用一直与这一类人的能力有关 药物能产生积极的强化作用。欣快感。这些 属性在受试者身上表现出明显的可变性。也就是说，不是 所有人都发现这种药物是有回报的。这样做的原因是 异质性还没有被很好地理解，但已经有人提出 一些前置条件的存在导致了一些 个人比其他人更敏感。身份的鉴定 如果我们要这样做，这些前提条件似乎势在必行 制定有效的预防方案。 环境条件可以显著影响这种倾向。 给老鼠自我注射可卡因，而不是安非他明。因此，它 有人认为环境条件会影响 发展特定的神经化学系统，然后 确定对特定类别滥用药物的反应。这个 本提案是从这些初步调查结果延伸而来的。会的 试图建立环境保护的手段 条件会影响成年大鼠对 可卡因的增强特性。第一部分将 调查收购和收购的神经化学基础 通过使用可卡因维持自我给药 静脉注射自我给药模式。第二节 将更具体地解决中央和中央之间的互动 多巴胺能底物和环境条件 使大鼠易受可卡因的增强作用。第三 部分将测试环境决定的概念 可卡因敏感性的变化可以通过一种 另一种形式的环境操纵。结果是 这些研究可能指出病因和治疗方向。 因为滥用可卡因。

The use and abuse of cocaine and other drugs has increased in recent years. The use has been tied to the ability of this class of drugs to produce positively reinforcing effect ie. euphoria. These properties exhibit marked across subject variability. That is, not all individuals find the drug rewarding. The reasons for this heterogeneity are not well understood but it has been suggested that some antecedent conditions exists that cause some individuals to be more sensitive than others. The identification of these antecedent conditions seems imperative if we are to institute effective programs aimed at prevention. Environmental conditions can markedly influence the propensity of rats to self-administer cocaine but not amphetamine. Thus, it was suggested that environmental conditions influence the development of specific neurochemical systems which then determine the response to specific classes of abused drugs. The present proposal extends from these initial findings. It will attempt to establish the means by which the enviromental conditions can effect the sensitivity of adult rats to the reinforcing properties of cocaine. The first section will investigate the neurochemical bases for the acquisition and maintenance of cocaine self-administration through the usage of the intravenous self-administration paradigm. The second section will address more specifically the interaction between central dopaminergic substrates and environmental conditions that predispose rats to the reinforcing properties of cocaine. The third section will test the notion that environmentally determined changes in sensitivity to cocaine can be reversed through an alternate form of environmental manipulation. The results of these studies may point to etiological and therapeutic directions for cocaine abuse.