Amphetamine induced neuroplasticity in brain regions involved in conditioned drug effects and relapse

Identifier:  TFG:6584

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TFG6584

Authors:  Benet Caballero, Marc

Abstract:
Neuroplasticity in brain circuits involved in the regulation of incentive motivation and reward-based behaviour has been proven to be connected to drug addiction. We aim to study the occurrence of long-lasting neuroadaptations induced by repeated amphetamine exposure in the subregions of the brain basolateral brain amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens (nAc) in male rats. Neuroadaptations inducing behavioural sensitization appeared after one week of amphetamine administration. Moreover, BLa and nAc exhibited neuroadaptations involving an increase in the GABAergic inhibitory tone leading to a reduction in the probability of neurotransmitter release and a suppressed neuronal excitability (electrophysiological techniques).