title: High levels of wheel running protect against behavioral sensitization to cocaine.
abstract: Although there is no doubt that the direct action of stimulant drugs on the brain is necessary for sensitization to their behavioral stimulating effects, several experiments indicate that drug action is often not sufficient to produce sensitization. There is considerable evidence that many individual characteristics and experiential variables can modulate the behavioral and neural changes that are seen following repeated exposure to stimulant drugs. In the work presented here, we examined whether chronic wheel running would modulate behavioral sensitization to cocaine, and whether any such influence was contingent on individual differences in wheel running. We found that a 5- or 10-week experience with wheel running protects against behavioral sensitization to cocaine but only in animals with a natural tendency to run the most. Understanding the mechanism underlying the modulating effect of wheel running on behavioral sensitization may have important implications for future studies on the link between drug-induced behavioral and neural adaptations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology/FRQS Groupe de Recherche en Neurobiologie Comportementale, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Renteria Diaz
authors.forename: Dora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Siontas
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arvanitogiannis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D003042:Cocaine