title: Glutamate transmission in addiction.
abstract: Cortico-striatal glutamate transmission has been implicated in both the initiation and expression of addiction related behaviors, such as locomotor sensitization and drug-seeking. While glutamate transmission onto dopamine cells in the ventral tegmental area undergoes transient plasticity important for establishing addiction-related behaviors, glutamatergic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens is critical for the expression of these behaviors. This information points to the value of exploring pharmacotherapeutic manipulation of glutamate plasticity in treating drug addiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, 173 Ashley Ave, BSB410, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29464, USA. kalivasp@musc.edu
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Kalivas
authors.forename: Ryan T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Lalumiere
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Knackstedt
authors.forename: Haowei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006801:Humans; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018698:Glutamic Acid