title: Functional microcircuitry in the accumbens underlying drug addiction: insights from real-time signaling during behavior.
abstract: An understanding of the neurobiological basis of drug addiction requires examination of real-time (subsecond) cellular and chemical responses in the brain reward system during drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior. Electrophysiological and electrochemical studies in the rodent nucleus accumbens have examined changes in cell firing and rapid dopamine signaling during crucial periods of behavioral responding for drugs, and show the associative nature of those signals. These findings are considered with respect to the functional microcircuitry in the nucleus accumbens that underlies goal-directed behavior and the role of this circuit in drug addiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, CB 3270, Davie Hall, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3270 USA. rcarelli@unc.edu
authors.forename: Regina M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Carelli
authors.forename: R Mark
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Wightman
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D023421:Models, Animal; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012201:Reward; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D004298:Dopamine