According to the opponent-process theory of drug addiction, the intake of an addictive substance initiates two processes: a rapid primary process that results in the drug's rewarding effects, and a slower opponent process that leads to the aversive motivational state of drug aftereffects. This aversive state is integral in the desire, pursuit, and maintenance of drug use, potentially leading to...
Aberrant glutamatergic signaling has been closely related to several pathologies of the central nervous system. Glutamatergic activity can induce an increase in neural plasticity mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a nodal point in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Recent studies have related BDNF dependent plasticity in the VTA with the...
Despite several studies suggesting the therapeutic use of 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors type 2A (5-HT2A ) agonists in the treatment of substance use disorders, the neurobiological basis accounting for such effects are still unknown. It has been observed that chronic exposure to drugs of abuse produces molecular and cellular adaptations in ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons, mediated by...