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Related Concept Videos

Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

Analgesia and Pain Management

Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
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Opioid Receptors: Overview

Opioid receptors, including the mu (μ, MOR), delta (δ, DOR), and kappa (κ, KOR) types, belong to the rhodopsin family of G protein-coupled receptors. These receptors are located throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems and in non-neuronal tissues such as macrophages and astrocytes. Opioid receptor ligands can be categorized into agonists or antagonists. Highly selective agonists include [d-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly(ol)5]-enkephalin or DAMGO for MOR, [D-Pen2, D-Pen5]-enkephalin or DPDPE for...
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Opioids are a class of drugs that mimic endogenous opioid peptides and act on opioid receptors, and help in pain relief. These compounds are classified as natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic. Natural opioids, like morphine, codeine, and thebaine, are derived from the opium poppy plant (Papaver somniferum or Papaver album) and are termed opiates. Synthetic opioids are artificial, while semi-synthetic opioids combine natural and synthetic compounds. Morphine, a prototypical opioid, possesses a...
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Drug dependence, abuse, and addiction are complex phenomena that can precipitate various abnormal states. Physical dependence refers to a state of pharmacological adaptation to a drug. This adaptation often results in tolerance—a reduced response to the drug after repeated administrations. When the drug use is abruptly stopped, withdrawal symptoms occur due to the body's need to readjust from the pharmacologically induced imbalance. However, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms do not necessarily...
Plasticity00:58

Plasticity

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Assessment of Morphine-induced Hyperalgesia and Analgesic Tolerance in Mice Using Thermal and Mechanical Nociceptive Modalities
07:23

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Published on: July 29, 2014

Opiates and plasticity.

Matthieu Dacher1, Fereshteh S Nugent

  • 1Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.

Neuropharmacology
|January 29, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Opiate addiction stems from memory formation, where pleasurable effects and withdrawal symptoms drive compulsive drug seeking. Understanding synaptic plasticity in opioid-sensitive brain areas is key to addressing this challenge.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Addiction Research
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Opiates are potent analgesics but highly addictive, leading to abuse and global drug problems.
  • Addiction involves memory formation, linking pleasurable opiate effects and withdrawal dysphoria to compulsive drug seeking.
  • Neuroadaptations in opiate tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal contribute to addiction, but specific mechanisms for compulsive use and relapse remain challenging to pinpoint.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent progress in identifying synaptic plasticity forms in opioid-sensitive brain regions.
  • To explore the role of drug-induced synaptic plasticity and learning in driving addictive behaviors.
  • To re-examine neuroadaptations in opiate tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal in relation to synaptic learning mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current scientific literature on synaptic plasticity and opiate addiction.
  • Discussion of neurobiological adaptations at excitatory and inhibitory synapses in opioid-sensitive brain areas.
  • Revisiting neuroadaptations associated with opiate tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal.

Main Results:

  • Strong overlaps exist between neural substrates of learning and addiction.
  • Aberrant drug-induced synaptic plasticity and learning are believed to drive addictive behaviors.
  • Recent progress has identified specific forms of synaptic plasticity in opioid-sensitive brain areas.

Conclusions:

  • Synaptic plasticity in opioid-sensitive brain regions plays a crucial role in opiate addiction.
  • Understanding these plasticity mechanisms is vital for developing effective addiction treatments.
  • Addiction is increasingly viewed as a disorder of learning and memory driven by drug-induced brain changes.