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Acute cocaine administration depresses cortical activity
Heather Trantham-Davidson1, Antonieta Lavin
1Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Summary
Acute cocaine administration impairs prefrontal cortex (PFC) function by altering neuronal activity and excitability. This study reveals cocaine’s detrimental effects on cognitive processing within the PFC.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Psychostimulants like cocaine acutely impair cognitive tasks.
- Cocaine's effects on the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are well-documented.
- Limited research exists on cocaine's acute impact on the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the acute effects of cocaine administration on neuronal activity and excitability in the PFC.
- To elucidate the cellular mechanisms underlying cocaine-induced cognitive deficits in the PFC.
Main Methods:
- In vivo electrophysiological recordings in the PFC of rodents.
- Administration of cocaine to assess acute effects on neuronal firing and membrane potentials.
- Measurement of VTA-evoked responses and EPSP-IPSP sequences.
Main Results:
- Acute cocaine induced prolonged membrane depolarization in the PFC.
- Spontaneous cortical firing and membrane bistability were decreased.
- VTA-evoked responses and the EPSP-IPSP sequence amplitude were blunted.
- Cortical excitability and bistability driving force were compromised.
Conclusions:
- Acute cocaine administration significantly disrupts PFC neuronal function.
- These disruptions compromise cortical bistability and excitability, potentially explaining cognitive deficits.
- The PFC is a critical target for cocaine's acute neurochemical and functional effects.