title: Differential control over cocaine-seeking behavior by nucleus accumbens core and shell.
abstract: Nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine is widely implicated in mediating the reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse. However, the precise function of the NAc itself in drug self-administration has been difficult to establish. Here we show a neural double-dissociation of the behavioral processes that underlie cocaine self-administration in rats. Whereas selective excitotoxic lesions of the NAc core had only a minor effect on the acquisition of responding for cocaine under a standard schedule of continuous reinforcement, these lesions profoundly impaired the acquisition of drug-seeking behavior that was maintained by drug-associated conditioned reinforcers and assessed using a second-order schedule of cocaine reinforcement. In contrast, selective excitotoxic lesions of the NAc shell did not impair drug self-administration or the acquisition of cocaine-seeking, but they did attenuate the psychostimulant effects of cocaine. These results further our understanding of how the NAc controls drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB1 1BB, UK.
authors.forename: Rutsuko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Trevor W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Everitt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012646:Self Administration
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine