title: Decreased activity of rat A10 dopamine neurons following withdrawal from repeated cocaine.
abstract: Electrophysiological techniques were used to determine the basal activity of A10 dopamine (DA) neurons in the rat ventral tegmental area after a 10-14 day withdrawal from repeated cocaine treatment (10.0 mg/kg i.p. twice daily for 14 days). The number of spontaneously active A10 DA cells was significantly decreased (42%) in the cocaine-treated rats. This decreased activity may underlie the diminished basal levels of synaptic DA within the nucleus accumbens previously reported in cocaine-withdrawn rats and may account for anhedonia, anergia and cocaine craving reported by withdrawn cocaine addicts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Lafayette Clinic, Detroit, MI 48207.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ackerman
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine; D004298:Dopamine