Neuroimaging and Drug Taking in Primates Abbreviated title: Neuroimaging and Drug taking

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Leonard L. Howell, Emory University; Kevin Murnane, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2011-07
• Publisher: Springer Verlag (Germany)
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © Springer-Verlag 2011
• Final Published Version (URL): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks&id=21360099
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Psychopharmacology
• ISSN: 0033-3158
• Volume: 216
• Issue: 2
• Start Page: 153
• End Page: 171
• Grant/Funding Information: Research from the laboratory of the authors and preparation of the manuscript were supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service Grants DA10344, DA12514, DA16589, DA00517, and RR00165 (Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health).
• Keywords: cerebral blood flow; cocaine; stimulants; fMRI; dopamine; PET imaging; cerebral metabolism; self-administration; nonhuman primates; serotonin
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Pharmacology

Abstract

Rationale Neuroimaging techniques have led to significant advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of drug-taking and the treatment of drug addiction in humans. Neuroimaging approaches provide a powerful translational approach that can link findings from humans and laboratory animals. Objective This review describes the utility of neuroimaging toward understanding the neurobiological basis of drug taking, and documents the close concordance that can be achieved among neuroimaging, neurochemical and behavioral endpoints. Results The study of drug interactions with dopamine and serotonin transporters in vivo has identified pharmacological mechanisms of action associated with the abuse liability of stimulants. Neuroimaging has identified the extended limbic system, including the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate, as important neuronal circuitry that underlies drug taking. The ability to conduct within-subject, longitudinal assessments of brain chemistry and neuronal function has enhanced our efforts to document long-term changes in dopamine D2 receptors, monoamine transporters, and prefrontal metabolism due to chronic drug exposure. Dysregulation of dopamine function and brain metabolic changes in areas involved in reward circuitry have been linked to drug-taking behavior, cognitive impairment and treatment response. Conclusions Experimental designs employing neuroimaging should consider well-documented determinants of drug taking, including pharmacokinetic considerations, subject history and environmental variables. Methodological issues to consider include limited molecular probes, lack of neurochemical specificity in brain activation studies, and the potential influence of anesthetics in animal studies. Nevertheless, these integrative approaches should have important implications for understanding drug-taking behavior and the treatment of drug addiction.