This research sheds light on how these drugs manipulate brain functions and gradually drive the drug-seeking behavior that is the hallmark of addiction. Eric Nestler and Dr. The research team, led by Jeffrey Friedman, took an interdisciplinary approach by combining neuroscience tools at the behavioral, cellular and molecular levels. They watched how individual neurons in a key area of the brain (nucleus accumbens) responded to natural rewards (food, water) and addictive drugs (cocaine, morphine).
An important discovery was the identification of a largely overlapping population of neurons that respond to both natural rewards and drugs. However, repeated exposure to drugs disrupts the normal functioning of these cells, causing drug seeking to take precedence over natural rewards.
“We found that addictive drugs not only activated the same cells as natural rewards, but also produced a stronger initial response,” explains study co-author Caleb Brown. “This effect worsens with repeated exposure and likely contributes to the negative emotional states experienced during drug withdrawal.”
Additionally, the team identified a specific intracellular pathway (mTORC1) that is critical in disrupting the natural reward process under the influence of the drug. Within this pathway, the gene (Rheb) has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for future drug addiction treatments.
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Source: Ferra
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