title: The addicted synapse: mechanisms of synaptic and structural plasticity in nucleus accumbens.
abstract: Addictive drugs cause persistent restructuring of several neuronal cell types in the limbic regions of brain thought to be responsible for long-term behavioral plasticity driving addiction. Although these structural changes are well documented in nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons, little is known regarding the underlying molecular mechanisms. Additionally, it remains unclear whether structural plasticity and its synaptic concomitants drive addictive behaviors or whether they reflect homeostatic compensations to the drug not related to addiction per se. Here, we discuss recent paradoxical data, which either support or oppose the hypothesis that drug-induced changes in dendritic spines drive addictive behavior. We define areas where future investigation can provide a more detailed picture of drug-induced synaptic reorganization, including ultrastructural, electrophysiological and behavioral studies.
authors.affiliation: Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA. scott.russo@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Scott J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: Dani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dumitriu
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Malenka
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Nestler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs