title: Drug-Induced Alterations of Endocannabinoid-Mediated Plasticity in Brain Reward Regions.
abstract: The endocannabinoid (eCB) system has emerged as one of the most important mediators of physiological and pathological reward-related synaptic plasticity. eCBs are retrograde messengers that provide feedback inhibition, resulting in the suppression of neurotransmitter release at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses, and they serve a critical role in the spatiotemporal regulation of both short- and long-term synaptic plasticity that supports adaptive learning of reward-motivated behaviors. However, mechanisms of eCB-mediated synaptic plasticity in reward areas of the brain are impaired following exposure to drugs of abuse. Because of this, it is theorized that maladaptive eCB signaling may contribute to the development and maintenance of addiction-related behavior. Here we review various forms of eCB-mediated synaptic plasticity present in regions of the brain involved in reward and reinforcement and explore the potential physiological relevance of maladaptive eCB signaling to addiction vulnerability.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology and.
authors.forename: Natalie E
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6681-6171
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Zlebnik
authors.affiliation: Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201 jcheer@som.umaryland.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph F
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5086-7559
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cheer
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000502:physiology*; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D009042:Motivation; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D012201:Reward; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D063388:Endocannabinoids
keywords: THC; addiction; cocaine; drugs of abuse; endocannabinoid; nucleus accumbens; plasticity; reward; ventral tegmental nucleus