Biology Of Addiction Research Articles

Functional dissociation of mu opioid receptor signaling and endocytosis: implications for the biology of opiate tolerance and addiction.

Opiate analgesia, tolerance, and addiction are mediated by drug-induced activation of the mu opioid receptor. A fundamental question in addiction biology is why exogenous opiate drugs have a high liability for inducing tolerance and addiction while native ligands do not. Studies indicate that highly addictive opiate drugs such as morphine are deficient in their ability to induce the desensitization and endocytosis of receptors. Here, we demonstrate that this regulatory mechanism reveals an independent functional property of opiate drugs that can be distinguished from previously established agonist properties. Moreover, this property correlates with agonist propensity to promote physiological tolerance, suggesting a fundamental revision of our understanding of the role of receptor endocytosis in the biology of opiate drug action and addiction.

The biology of nicotine addiction: A reaction paper

The biology of nicotine addiction: A reaction paper

Evidence of preference for a high-concentration sucrose solution in alcoholic men

The purpose of this study was to test in humans the finding from animal studies indicating an association between preference for more concentrated sweet solutions and excessive alcohol drinking. The hedonic response to five different concentrations of sucrose solution was evaluated in 20 detoxified alcoholic and 37 nonalcoholic Caucasian men. All subjects repetitively tasted solutions with 0.05, 0.10, 0.21, 0.42, and 0.83 M sucrose concentrations and rated themselves on two scales measuring the intensity of sweetness and the likability of the solutions. A bimodal distribution of responses to the sweet solutions occurred in the nonalcoholic comparison group, with peaks at 0.05 M and 0.42 M. In the alcoholic group, 65% of the subjects preferred the highest sucrose concentration (0.83 M), compared with only 16% of the nonalcoholic group. The results of this exploratory study support the hypothesis suggesting a positive association between the preference for stronger sweet solutions and alcohol dependence.

Serotonin-dopamine interaction and its relevance to schizophrenia.

The therapeutic success of clozapine and risperidone has focused attention on the interaction between serotonin and dopamine systems as an avenue for superior therapeutics in schizophrenia. The authors review the neurobiological basis for this interaction and its clinical relevance. The authors synthesized information from more than 100 published articles obtained through electronic and bibliography-directed searches. The serotonin system inhibits dopaminergic function at the level of the origin of the dopamine system in the midbrain as well as at the terminal dopaminergic fields in the forebrain. Serotonergic antagonists release the dopamine system from this inhibition. This disinhibition of the dopamine system in the striatum may alleviate neuroleptic-induced extrapyramidal symptoms, and a similar disinhibition in the prefrontal cortex may ameliorate negative symptoms. However, the benefits of combined serotonergic-dopaminergic blockade may be observed in only a narrow dose range and may be lost with doses that produce suprathreshold dopaminergic blockade. Serotonergic modulation of dopaminergic function provides a viable mechanism for enhancing therapeutics in schizophrenia, but much remains unclear. Future research will have to establish the existence of this interaction in humans in vivo, specify the conditions under which it leads to optimal therapeutic benefits, and explore the possibility of using specific serotonergic treatments as flexible adjuncts to typical neuroleptics, rather than the present trend toward using single drugs with combined actions.

Addiction Biology–a significant addition to the range of addiction journals

AddictionVolume 91, Issue 1 p. 15-16 Free Access Addiction Biology –a significant addition to the range of addiction journals Griffith Edwards, Griffith Edwards EditorSearch for more papers by this author Griffith Edwards, Griffith Edwards EditorSearch for more papers by this author First published: January 1996 https://doi.org/10.1080/09652149640752AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume91, Issue1January 1996Pages 15-16 RelatedInformation

Book and Media Reviews

Books review in this article: In addition to book reviews, which seem to be a popular feature of contemporary scientific and medical journals, Addiction Biology will also include “media” reviews of other materials relevant to its readers. These media will include primarily videos and computer software, but we will also consider audio tapes, compact discs and other materials where relevant. Suggestions for suitable materials to be reviewed are welcomed. Neurochemistry of Drug Dependence SUSAN WONNACOTT & GEORGE G. LUNT (Eds) Animal Experimentation and the Future of Medical Research J. H. BOTTING (Ed.) Advances in Protein Phosphatases, Volumes 7 (1993) & 8 (1994) The Biochemical Basis of Biology. 3. Manipulating DNA E. J. WOOD

Birth of Addiction Biology

Addiction BiologyVolume 1, Issue 1 p. 5-6 Birth of Addiction Biology TIMOTHY PETERS, TIMOTHY PETERS Editor-in-chiefSearch for more papers by this author TIMOTHY PETERS, TIMOTHY PETERS Editor-in-chiefSearch for more papers by this author First published: January 1996 https://doi.org/10.1080/1355621961000124646Citations: 1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume1, Issue1January 1996Pages 5-6 RelatedInformation

Cerebral perfusion and neuropsychological consequences of chronic cocaine use.

Research indicates that cocaine significantly constricts the cerebral vasculature and can lead to ischemic brain infarction. Long-term effects of intermittent or casual cocaine use in patients without symptoms of stroke or transient ischemic attack were investigated. Single-photon emission computed tomography with xenon-133 and [99mTc]hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime, magnetic resonance imaging, and selected neuropsychological measures were used to study cerebral perfusion, brain morphology, and cognitive functioning. Patients were drug free for at least 6 months before evaluation. All showed regions of significant cerebral hypoperfusion in the frontal, periventricular, and/or temporal-parietal areas. Deficits in attention, concentration, new learning, visual and verbal memory, word production, and visuomotor integration were observed. This study indicates that long-term cocaine use may produce sustained brain perfusion deficits and persistent neuropsychological compromise in some subgroups of cocaine-abusing patients.

Decreased brain metabolism in neurologically intact healthy alcoholics.

The extent to which cerebral dysfunction in alcoholics is related to the direct effects of alcohol in the brain rather than to indirect mechanisms and/or alcohol withdrawal remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether healthy alcoholics with no evidence of alcohol-associated complications showed changes in brain glucose metabolism. Positron emission tomography and [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose were used to measure regional brain metabolism. The study group consisted of 22 normal, healthy, right-handed volunteers and 22 neurologically intact, healthy, right-handed alcoholics tested 6 to 32 days after alcohol discontinuation. Alcoholics showed significantly lower whole brain metabolism than normal control subjects. Normalization of regional metabolic values to the whole brain metabolic rate revealed that the left parietal and right frontal cortices were the most affected regions. Although the whole brain metabolic rate was correlated with the amount of time since alcohol discontinuation, the "normalized" decreases in left parietal and right frontal glucose metabolism were not. These findings support the contribution of the direct effect of alcohol as well as alcohol withdrawal on the changes in regional brain metabolism seen in alcoholics. They also provide evidence of cerebral changes in neurologically intact healthy alcoholics.

Dr. Volkow and Associates Reply

Dr. Volkow and Associates Reply

Technique for greatly shortening the transition from methadone to naltrexone maintenance of patients addicted to opiates

Acute methadone detoxification was induced by the intravenous administration of naloxone during simultaneous intravenous sedation with midazolam, a fully reversible short-acting benzodiazepine, in seven patients addicted to opiates. Within hours the patients tolerated full doses of naltrexone. This technique enables patients to transfer easily, quickly, and safely from methadone to naltrexone maintenance.

Dr. Swartz Replies

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article ArticleNo AccessDr. Swartz RepliesMARVIN S. SWARTZMARVIN S. SWARTZSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Apr 2006https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.147.4.540-aAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail "Dr. Swartz Replies." American Journal of Psychiatry, 147(4), pp. 540-a–540 Access content To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access. Personal login Institutional Login Sign in via OpenAthens Purchase Save for later Item saved, go to cart PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry $35.00 Add to cart PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry Checkout Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability. Not a subscriber? Subscribe Now / Learn More PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development. Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.). FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byHuman Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, Vol. 21, No. 6Psychopharmacology, Vol. 176, No. 1Biological markers of cocaine addiction: implications for medications development9 June 2006 | Addiction Biology, Vol. 8, No. 2Serum prolactin and response to treatment among cocaine-dependent individuals9 June 2006 | Addiction Biology, Vol. 7, No. 1The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Vol. 19, No. 3Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, Vol. 15, No. 9The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Vol. 18, No. 2 Volume 147Issue 4 April 1990Pages 540-a-540 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 April 2006 Published in print 1 April 1990

More on Idiosyncratic Reaction to Naltrexone

More on Idiosyncratic Reaction to Naltrexone

Use of laboratory tests to monitor heavy drinking by alcoholic men discharged from a treatment program.

Changes in blood test values from the time of discharge from an alcohol treatment program to 3-month follow-up were studied in two consecutive series of alcoholic men. The parallel combination of a percent increase in gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) of greater than or equal to 20%, in aspartate aminotransferase (SGOT) of greater than or equal to 40%, and in alanine aminotransferase (SGPT) of greater than or equal to 20% over discharge values was developed as a rule and then cross-validated to identify those alcoholic men who had resumed drinking at follow-up. Serial determination of these three test values in combination can be used to distinguish recovering alcoholics who remain abstinent from those who resume drinking.

12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate activates the synthesis of phosphatidylethanol in animal cells exposed to ethanol.

Tumor-promoting phorbol esters acutely activate a pathway in lymphocytes leading to the synthesis and accumulation of phosphatidylethanol, using exogenous ethanol as a precursor. This product is a representative of a unique class of acidic glycerophospholipids in which the head group is a primary alcohol. The formation of this lipid, in response to different phorbol ester derivatives, correlates with their activity as tumor promoters and inducers of growth changes in a variety of animal cells. Since phosphatidylethanol represents an unusual metabolite of ethanol, it is proposed that studies of its synthesis and biological functions may also provide new perspectives on the biology of alcohol addiction as well as the role of this biological pathway in tumor promotion.

Central stimulant abuse: neurochemistry and pharmacotherapy.

This paper reviews certain clinical and neurochemical aspects of cocaine abuse. Once entrenched patterns of addiction have developed, cocaine addicts suffer progressive financial, medical, psychiatric and psychosocial deterioration that results, to some extent, from cocaine-induced neurochemical alterations in the brain. While cocaine produces euphoria through its stimulatory effect on dopamine neurons, several lines of evidence suggest that dopamine depletion occurs after chronic cocaine abuse. The dopamine neurotransmitter system is therefore a natural starting point for understanding the biology of cocaine addiction and selecting suitable adjunctive pharmacological agents. Furthermore, the dopamine depletion hypothesis implies that cocaine is "physically" addictive and provides a biological framework for understanding this disease and refining present therapeutic approaches.

Platelet MAO activity in recovered alcoholics after long-term abstinence.

The authors measured the platelet monoamine oxidase variables Vmax and Km in recovered alcoholics who had been abstinent for at least 5 years. No significant differences were found between these subjects and age- and sex-matched controls.

Use of a self-report symptom scale to detect depression in a community sample

The authors gave the CES-D, a self-report depression symptom scale, to 515 people drawn from a longitudinal community survey. The subjects were also interviewed using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS). From the information collected on the SADS, the subjects were given diagnoses based on Research Diagnostic Criteria. The results indicate a modest relationship between self-reported symptoms of depression and the diagnosis of a major or minor depression. However, the groups defined as "cases" by such reports also include many people with other diagnoses or with no diagnoses at all. Thus, symptom scales are useful for the screening of depressed persons in research studies but are only rough indicators of clinical depression in the community.

An analysis of the activation of motor cortical neurons by surface stimulation.

An analysis of the activation of motor cortical neurons by surface stimulation.J Rosenthal, H J Waller, and V E AmassianJ Rosenthal, H J Waller, and V E AmassianPublished Online:01 Jul 1967https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1967.30.4.844MoreSectionsPDF (2 MB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInWeChat Previous Back to Top Next Download PDF FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation Cited ByPhase-Locked Stimulation during Cortical Beta Oscillations Produces Bidirectional Synaptic Plasticity in Awake MonkeysCurrent Biology, Vol. 28, No. 16Ongoing brain rhythms shape I-wave properties in a computational modelBrain Stimulation, Vol. 11, No. 4Noninvasive Stimulation of the Human Brain: Activation of Multiple Cortical Circuits29 June 2017 | The Neuroscientist, Vol. 24, No. 3Heavy alcohol use in adolescence is associated with altered cortical activity: a combined TMS-EEG study23 December 2016 | Addiction Biology, Vol. 23, No. 1Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-Electroencephalography Responses in Recovered and Symptomatic Mild Traumatic Brain InjuryJournal of Neurotrauma, Vol. 30, No. 14Time-frequency analysis of short-lasting modulation of EEG induced by intracortical and transcallosal paired TMS over motor areasPaolo Manganotti, Emanuela Formaggio, Silvia Francesca Storti, Daniele De Massari, Alessandro Zamboni, Alessandra Bertoldo, Antonio Fiaschi, and Gianna Maria Toffolo1 May 2012 | Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol. 107, No. 9Effects of Botulinum Toxin on Central Nervous System FunctionPerception of Phosphenes and Flashed Alphabetical Characters is Enhanced by Single-Pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Anterior Frontal Lobe: The Thalamic Gate Hypothesis1 January 2008 | Perception, Vol. 37, No. 3Column-based model of electric field excitation of cerebral cortex1 January 2004 | Human Brain Mapping, Vol. 22, No. 1Distinct differences in cortical reactivity of motor and prefrontal cortices to magnetic stimulationClinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 115, No. 3Direct recording of the output of the motor cortex produced by transcranial magnetic stimulation in a patient with cerebral cortex atrophyClinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 115, No. 1Modulation of electroencephalographic responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation: evidence for changes in cortical excitability related to movementEuropean Journal of Neuroscience, Vol. 18, No. 5Alcohol Reduces Prefrontal Cortical Excitability in Humans: A Combined TMS and EEG Study23 October 2002 | Neuropsychopharmacology, Vol. 28, No. 4Clinical and Research Methods for Evaluating Cortical ExcitabilityJournal of Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 19, No. 4I-Waves in Motor CortexJournal of Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 17, No. 4Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Study of the Visual PathwayJournal of Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 15, No. 4The polarity of the induced electric field influences magnetic coil inhibition of human visual cortex: implications for the site of excitationElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/Evoked Potentials Section, Vol. 93, No. 1Cortical and spinal motor excitability during the transcranial magnetic stimulation silent period in humansBrain Research, Vol. 628, No. 1-2Unmasking human visual perception with the magnetic coil and its relationship to hemispheric asymmetryBrain Research, Vol. 605, No. 2Measurement of information processing delays in human visual cortex with repetitive magnetic coil stimulationBrain Research, Vol. 605, No. 2The muscle silent period following transcranial magnetic cortical stimulationJournal of the Neurological Sciences, Vol. 114, No. 2Enhancement of the amplitude of somatosensory evoked potentials following magnetic pulse stimulation of the human brainElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/Evoked Potentials Section, Vol. 88, No. 1Modelling magnetic coil excitation of human cerebral cortex with a peripheral nerve immersed in a brain-shaped volume conductor: the significance of fiber bending in excitationElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/Evoked Potentials Section, Vol. 85, No. 5Inhibitory period following motor potentials evoked by magnetic cortical stimulationElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/Evoked Potentials Section, Vol. 85, No. 4Motor potentials evoked in tibialis anterior by single and paired cervical stimuli in manNeuroscience Letters, Vol. 125, No. 2Corticospinal responses to electrical stimulation of motor cortex in the ratBrain Research, Vol. 508, No. 2Focal stimulation of human cerebral cortex with the magnetic coil: a comparison with electrical stimulationElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/Evoked Potentials Section, Vol. 74, No. 6Suppression of visual perception by magnetic coil stimulation of human occipital cortexElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/Evoked Potentials Section, Vol. 74, No. 6The effect of experimental ischaemia on the direct cortical response of the motor cortex in primatesElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/Evoked Potentials Section, Vol. 71, No. 4Non-invasive evaluation of input-output characteristics of sensorimotor cerebral areas in healthy humansElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/Evoked Potentials Section, Vol. 68, No. 2Neuronal activity evoked by chronically implanted intracortical microelectrodesExperimental Neurology, Vol. 92, No. 1Nervous propagation along ‘central’ motor pathways in intact man: Characteristics of motor responses to ‘bifocal’ and ‘unifocal’ spine and scalp non-invasive stimulationElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 61, No. 4Which elements are excited in electrical stimulation of mammalian central nervous system: A reviewBrain Research, Vol. 98, No. 3Basic mechanisms of magnetic coil excitation of nervous system in humans and monkeys and their applicationsCallosal and non-callosal connexions between the sensory-motor cortices in cat and monkeyElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 26, No. 6Electrophysiology of “epileptic” neurons: Spike generationElectroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 26, No. 5 More from this issue > Volume 30Issue 4July 1967Pages 844-58 https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1967.30.4.844PubMed6035693History Published online 1 July 1967 Published in print 1 July 1967 Metrics

Reliability of exhaustive swimming in the laboratory rat.

Reliability of exhaustive swimming in the laboratory rat.