title: [Structural plasticity associated with drugs addiction].
abstract: An essential feature of drug addiction is that an individual continues to use drug despite the threat of severely adverse physical or psychosocial consequences. Persistent changes in behavior and psychological function that occur as a function of drugs of abuse are thought to be due to the reorganization of synaptic connections (structural plasticity) in relevant brain circuits (especially the brains reward circuits). In this paper we summarized evidence that, indeed, exposure to amphetamine, cocaine, nicotine or morphine produced persistent changes in the structure of dendrites and dendritic spines on cells in relevant brain regions. We also approached the potential molecular mechanisms of these changes. It is suggested that structural plasticity associated with exposure to drugs of abuse reflects a reorganization of patterns of synaptic connectivity in these neural systems, a reorganization that alters their operation, thus contributing to some of the persistent sequela associated with drug use-including addiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Forensic Science, Xi'a Jiaotong University, Xian 710061, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Guo-fen
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Yong-hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D009020:Morphine / Q000009:adverse effects; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects; D012201:Reward; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine; D009020:Morphine; D000661:Amphetamine; D003042:Cocaine