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Assessment of Cocaine-induced Behavioral Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice

Assessment of Cocaine-induced Behavioral Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice

Published on: February 18, 2016

Sensitization processes in drug addiction.

Louk J M J Vanderschuren¹, R Christopher Pierce

¹Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. l.j.m.j.vanderschuren@umcutrecht.nl

Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences

|December 17, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The incentive sensitization theory explains addiction by proposing that repeated drug use hypersensitizes brain circuits, increasing drug "wanting." This sensitization may initiate addiction and contribute to relapse risk after detoxification.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychology
Addiction Research

Background:

The incentive sensitization theory of addiction, first proposed in 1993, posits that repeated drug exposure leads to hypersensitivity in neural circuits mediating incentive salience.
This hypersensitivity increases motivation for drugs, or "wanting," contributing to addictive behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

To critically evaluate the merits and limitations of the incentive sensitization theory of addiction.
To determine if incentive sensitization is observable in humans.

Main Methods:

Review and synthesis of existing literature on incentive sensitization theory.
Analysis of citation counts for seminal and subsequent publications on the theory.

Main Results:

The theory has been highly influential, with over 3,200 citations for key publications within 15 years.
Incentive sensitization appears most prominent in the early stages of drug use, suggesting a role in addiction initiation.

Conclusions:

Incentive sensitization may represent an initial step in the addiction process.
While potentially suppressed during full-blown addiction, sensitization can re-emerge during abstinence, increasing relapse risk.