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Cannabinoid Cb1 Transmission In The Mesolimbic Reward Pathway, Tasha Ahmad
Cannabinoid Cb1 Transmission In The Mesolimbic Reward Pathway, Tasha Ahmad
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R) transmission within the mesocorticolimbic system plays an important role in forming associative memories, and processing both positive and negative experiences. Opiates generally produce potent rewarding effects and previous evidence suggests that CB1 transmission may modulate the neural reward circuitry involved in opiate reward processing. The ventral tegmental area (VTA), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and Nucleus Accumbens (NA) are all implicated in opiate-reward processing, contain high levels of CB1 receptors, and are all modulated by dopamine (DA). Although, CB1 transmission within these areas has been heavily implicated in associative memory and learning, the potential …
Identification Of A Molecular Opiate-Addiction Memory Switch In The Basolateral Amygdala, Danika C.A. Lyons
Identification Of A Molecular Opiate-Addiction Memory Switch In The Basolateral Amygdala, Danika C.A. Lyons
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
The molecular mechanisms involved in acquiring opiate-related associative memories are largely unknown. One neural region implicated in the formation of opiate-related memories is the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA). Transmission through dopamine (DA) receptors within the BLA controls the formation of opiate-related reward memories (Lintas et al., 2011; Lintas et al., 2012). Specifically, transmission through DA D1 receptors controls opiate reward memory formation in animals that are previously naïve to opiate exposure. However, once opiate dependence and withdrawal are present, intra-BLA DA-mediated control of opiate reward memory processing switches to a DA D2 receptor substrate. These findings demonstrate a …