MDMA Modulation of Sensory Information Processing

描述(由申请人提供)： 这项研究的具体目的是利用体内微透析和单单位记录来确定急性和慢性MDMA(摇头丸)暴露对哺乳动物大脑中5-羟色胺(5-HT)外流和感觉通路功能的影响。拟议的实验将使用定义明确的大鼠三叉神经体感系统作为模型，以评估急性和慢性暴露期间MDMA对体感系统功能的影响。这些实验将检验这样的假设，即急性和慢性MDMA导致5-羟色胺外流的改变和单个感觉神经元对传入信息的反应性的显著改变。描述MDMA的急性和慢性影响将有助于我们理解其作为娱乐药物的受欢迎程度。此外，这些实验将有助于更好地理解MDMA对触觉信息处理的影响的生理机制。综上所述，这将增进我们对与MDMA管理相关的某些现象的了解，包括行为敏感化、耐受性和药物复发，所有这些都涉及感觉过程，并有助于MDMA的滥用责任。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The specific aims of the proposed research is to define the effects of acute and chronic MDMA ('ecstasy') exposure on serotonin (5-HT) efflux and the functioning of sensory pathways in the mammalian brain using in vivo microdialysis and single unit recordings. The proposed experiments will use the well-defined rat trigeminal somatosensory system as a model to assess the effects of MDMA during acute and chronic exposure on the functioning of the somatosensory system. These experiments will test the hypothesis that acute and chronic MDMA results in alterations of 5-HT efflux and significant changes in the responsiveness of single sensory neurons to afferent information. Characterizing the acute and chronic effects of MDMA will contribute to our understanding of its popularity as a recreational drug. In addition, these experiments will lead to a better understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying MDMA's effects on tactile information processing. Taken together, this will advance our knowledge of certain phenomena associated with MDMA administration including behavioral sensitization, tolerance, and drug relapse all of which involve sensory processes and contributes to MDMA's abuse liability.