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Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
Examination Of The Neurochemical Mechanisms That Mediate Nicotine Withdrawal In Adolescent And Adult Rats, Luis Alberto Natividad
Examination Of The Neurochemical Mechanisms That Mediate Nicotine Withdrawal In Adolescent And Adult Rats, Luis Alberto Natividad
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Introduction: The mechanisms that mediate nicotine withdrawal are presently unclear and age group differences in the neurochemical effects of withdrawal have been largely unexplored. Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated that adult rats display a decrease in extracellular levels of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) during nicotine withdrawal and this decrease is reduced in adolescent rats (Natividad et al., 2010). The goal of this dissertation was to examine whether these age group differences in dopamine during withdrawal are mediated via excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms that modulate dopamine in the cell body region of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Methods: …
The Effects Of Extended Access To Methamphetamine Self-Administration On Dopaminergic Markers In The Striatum, Joe Luevano
The Effects Of Extended Access To Methamphetamine Self-Administration On Dopaminergic Markers In The Striatum, Joe Luevano
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Methamphetamine (METH) abuse is a persistent problem in the U.S. and abroad. Escalation of METH use among independent users occurs for a variety of physiological and psychological reasons. Methamphetamine dependence may be attributed to the rewarding effect of this drug via the dopaminergic systems of the central nervous system (CNS). The presence of METH in the CNS increases synaptic release of dopamine. This increase in dopaminergic neurotransmission is thought to be directly attributed to the rewarding effects of METH. Following METH use, compensatory changes have been found to occur in the dopaminergic system during various periods of abstinence. It is …