Drug-induced neurobehavioral plasticity: the role of environmental context

Repeated administrations of addictive drugs produce long-lasting changes in brain and behavior. However, drug-induced neurobehavioral plasticity is not a mere function of the neuropharmacological actions of drugs, but the result of complex drug-environment interactions. In the present review we summarize results obtained in a series of studies using an animal model of drug-environment interaction, showing that environmental context and past drug history interact to modulate the effects of amphetamine, cocaine and morphine on behavior, gene expression and structural plasticity. These findings may help shed some light on the conditions necessary for addictive drugs to enduringly alter brain and behavior.