Abstract
Drug addiction is a chronic disorder comprising components of both impulsivity and compulsivity in the so called “addiction cycle” which develops over time from early non-dependent, repetitive, binge-consumption to later post-dependent compulsive consumption. Thus, frequent binge-like intake is a typical pattern of excessive drug intake characteristic of the pre-dependent phase of the addiction cycle, which represent an important risk factor to develop addiction in vulnerable individuals. In this framework, it is of paramount interest to further understand the earliest stage of the addiction cycle so novel approaches would emerge aimed to control repetitive episodes of binge-consumption in non-dependent subjects, protecting vulnerable individuals from transition to dependence. Environmental enrichment (EE) is a preclinical animal model in which animals are housed under novel, social enriched conditions, which allows exercising and provides sensory and cognitive stimulation. EE promotes important improvements for a variety of cognitive processes and clear therapeutic and protective effects preventing ethanol (EtOH) and drug addiction as well. Interestingly, recent observations suggest that EE might additionally modulate binge-like intake of highly palatable caloric substances, including EtOH, which suggests the ability of EE to regulate consumption during the initial stage of the addiction cycle. We have proposed that EE protective and therapeutic effects on binge-consumption of palatable substances might primarily be mediated by the modulatory control that EE exerts on anxiety and impulsivity/compulsivity traits, which are all risk factors favoring transition to drug addiction.
Highlights
Drug addiction is a chronic psychiatric disorder which exhibits components of both impulsivity and compulsivity and develops over time on three progressive stages in the so called ‘‘addiction cycle’’ (Koob and Volkow, 2009): (1) a binge/intoxication phase guided by the rewarding properties of drugs and impulsivity; (2) a withdrawal phase where excessive consumption escalates; and (3) a preoccupation/anticipation phase mainly guided by negative reinforcement, increased stress and anxiety and compulsivity (Koob and Volkow, 2009)
Taking together the aforementioned data, we have proposed the working hypothesis that EE housing conditions might primarily act on anxiety and impulsivity/compulsivity related brain systems during the intoxication early phase of the addiction cycle, protecting vulnerable non-dependent organisms from excessive binge-like intake and transition to dependence (Rodríguez-Ortega et al, 2018)
Consistent with preclinical results, human research has suggested that EE exposure during the early and later, stages of the addiction cycle might be determinant to control excessive drug intake and prevent drug relapse
Summary
Drug addiction is a chronic psychiatric disorder which exhibits components of both impulsivity and compulsivity and develops over time on three progressive stages in the so called ‘‘addiction cycle’’ (Koob and Volkow, 2009): (1) a binge/intoxication phase guided by the rewarding properties of drugs and impulsivity; (2) a withdrawal phase where excessive consumption escalates; and (3) a preoccupation/anticipation phase mainly guided by negative reinforcement, increased stress and anxiety and compulsivity (Koob and Volkow, 2009). Because continued binge-like consumption represents a risk behavior that favors transition to addiction (Koob and Le Moal, 2006; Courtney and Polich, 2009; Crabbe et al, 2011; Thiele and Navarro, 2014), we have alternatively focused our interest during the last years in the early pre-dependent stage of the addiction cycle dominated by repetitive binge-like intake (Alcaraz-Iborra et al, 2014, 2017; Alcaraz-Iborra and Cubero, 2015; Carvajal et al, 2015; Rodríguez-Ortega et al, 2018) It is our, and others authors (Thiele and Navarro, 2014) believe, that understanding those neurobehavioral processes involved in repetitive binge consumption in non-dependent animals would help us to develop new approaches preventing transition to dependence.
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