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Allen MI, Costa MB, Johnson BN, Gould RW, Nader MA. Cognitive performance as a behavioral phenotype associated with cocaine self-administration in female and male socially housed monkeys. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01882-7. [PMID: 38760425 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01882-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Considerable research has suggested that certain cognitive domains may contribute to cocaine misuse. However, there are gaps in the literature regarding whether cognitive performance before drug exposure predicts susceptibility to cocaine self-administration and how cognitive performance relates to future cocaine intake. Thus, the present study aimed to examine cognitive performance, as measured using automated CANTAB cognitive battery, prior to and following acquisition of cocaine self-administration under a concurrent drug vs. food choice procedure in female and male socially housed cynomolgus macaques. The cognitive battery consisted of measures of associative learning (stimulus and compound discrimination tasks), behavioral flexibility (intradimensional and extradimensional tasks), and behavioral inhibition (stimulus discrimination reversal, SDR, and extra-dimensional reversal tasks). After assessing cognitive performance, monkeys were trained to self-administer cocaine (saline, 0.01-0.1 mg/kg/injection) under a concurrent cocaine vs. food schedule of reinforcement. After a history of cocaine self-administration across 3-4 years, the cognitive battery was re-assessed and compared with sensitivity to cocaine reinforcement. Results showed drug-naïve monkeys that were less accurate on the SDR task, measuring behavioral inhibition, were more sensitive to cocaine reinforcement under the concurrent cocaine vs. food choice procedure. Furthermore, following chronic cocaine self-administration, cocaine intake was a negative predictor of accuracy on the SDR behavioral inhibition task. After cocaine maintenance, monkeys with higher cocaine intakes required more trials to complete the SDR behavioral inhibition task and made more incorrect responses during these trials. No sex or social rank differences were noted. Overall, these findings suggest that cognitive performance may influence vulnerability to cocaine misuse. Also, chronic cocaine may decrease levels of behavioral inhibition as measured via the SDR task in both females and males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia I Allen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Center for Addiction Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Marissa B Costa
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Center for Addiction Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Bernard N Johnson
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Center for Addiction Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Robert W Gould
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Center for Addiction Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Michael A Nader
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
- Center for Addiction Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
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Kangas BD. Examining the effects of psychoactive drugs on complex behavioral processes in laboratory animals. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2021; 93:243-274. [PMID: 35341568 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral pharmacology has been aided significantly by the development of innovative cognitive tasks designed to examine complex behavioral processes in laboratory animals. Performance outcomes under these conditions have provided key metrics of drug action which serve to supplement traditional in vivo assays of physiologic and behavioral effects of psychoactive drugs. This chapter provides a primer of cognitive tasks designed to assay different aspects of complex behavior, including learning, cognitive flexibility, memory, attention, motivation, and impulsivity. Both capstone studies and recent publications are highlighted throughout to illustrate task value for two distinct but often interconnected translational strategies. First, task performance in laboratory animals can be utilized to elucidate how drugs of abuse affect complex behavioral processes. Here, the expectation is that adverse effects on such processes will have predictive relevance to consequences that will be experienced by humans. Second, these same task outcomes can be used to evaluate candidate therapeutics. In this case, the extent to which drug doses with medicinal value perturb task performance can contribute critical information for a more complete safety profile appraisal and advance the process of medications development. Methodological and theoretical considerations are discussed and include an emphasis on determining selectivity in drug action on complex behavioral processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Kangas
- Behavioral Biology Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
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Desai RI, Kangas BD, Limoli CL. Nonhuman primate models in the study of spaceflight stressors: Past contributions and future directions. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2021; 30:9-23. [PMID: 34281669 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2021.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Studies in rodents suggest that exposure to distinct spaceflight stressors (e.g., space radiation, isolation/confinement, microgravity) may have a profound impact on an astronaut's ability to perform both simple and complex tasks related to neurocognitive performance, central nervous system (CNS) and vestibular/sensorimotor function. However, limited information is currently available on how combined exposure to the spaceflight stressors will impact CNS-related neurocognitive and neurobiological function in-flight and, as well, terrestrial risk of manifesting neurodegenerative conditions when astronauts return to earth. This information gap has significantly hindered our ability to realistically estimate spaceflight hazard risk to the CNS associated with deep space exploration. Notwithstanding a significant body of work with rodents, there have been very few direct investigations of the impact of these spaceflight stressors in combination and, to our knowledge, no such investigations using nonhuman primate (NHP) animal models. In view of the widely-recognized translational value of NHP data in advancing biomedical discoveries, this research deficiency limits our understanding regarding the impact of individual and combined spaceflight stressors on CNS-related neurobiological function. In this review, we address this knowledge gap by conducting a systematic and comprehensive evaluation of existing research on the impact of exposure to spaceflight stressors on NHP CNS-related function. This review is structured to: a) provide an overarching view of the past contributions of NHPs to spaceflight research as well as the strengths, limitations, and translational value of NHP research in its own right and within the existing context of NASA-relevant rodent research; b) highlight specific conclusions based on the published literature and areas needed for future endeavors; c) describe critical research gaps and priorities in NHP research to facilitate NASA's efforts to bridge the key knowledge gaps that currently exist in translating rodent data to humans; and d) provide a roadmap of recommendations for NASA regarding the availability, validity, strengths, and limitations of various NHP models for future targeted research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajeev I Desai
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Brian D Kangas
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles L Limoli
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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4
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Robinson AH, Perales JC, Volpe I, Chong TT, Verdejo‐Garcia A. Are methamphetamine users compulsive? Faulty reinforcement learning, not inflexibility, underlies decision making in people with methamphetamine use disorder. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12999. [PMID: 33393187 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Methamphetamine use disorder involves continued use of the drug despite negative consequences. Such 'compulsivity' can be measured by reversal learning tasks, which involve participants learning action-outcome task contingencies (acquisition-contingency) and then updating their behaviour when the contingencies change (reversal). Using these paradigms, animal models suggest that people with methamphetamine use disorder (PwMUD) may struggle to avoid repeating actions that were previously rewarded but are now punished (inflexibility). However, difficulties in learning task contingencies (reinforcement learning) may offer an alternative explanation, with meaningful treatment implications. We aimed to disentangle inflexibility and reinforcement learning deficits in 35 PwMUD and 32 controls with similar sociodemographic characteristics, using novel trial-by-trial analyses on a probabilistic reversal learning task. Inflexibility was defined as (a) weaker reversal phase performance, compared with the acquisition-contingency phases, and (b) persistence with the same choice despite repeated punishments. Conversely, reinforcement learning deficits were defined as (a) poor performance across both acquisition-contingency and reversal phases and (b) inconsistent postfeedback behaviour (i.e., switching after reward). Compared with controls, PwMUD exhibited weaker learning (odds ratio [OR] = 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.63-0.77], p < .001), though no greater accuracy reduction during reversal. Furthermore, PwMUD were more likely to switch responses after one reward/punishment (OR = 0.83, 95% CI [0.77-0.89], p < .001; OR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.72-0.93], p = .002) but just as likely to switch after repeated punishments (OR = 1.03, 95% CI [0.73-1.45], p = .853). These results indicate that PwMUD's reversal learning deficits are driven by weaker reinforcement learning, not inflexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex H. Robinson
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - José C. Perales
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC) University of Granada Granada Spain
| | - Isabelle Volpe
- Clinical and Social Research Team Turning Point, Eastern Health Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Eastern Health Clinical School Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Monash Addiction Research Centre Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Trevor T.‐J. Chong
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Antonio Verdejo‐Garcia
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
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Sorby-Adams AJ, Schneider WT, Goncalves RP, Knolle F, Morton AJ. Measuring executive function in sheep (Ovis aries) using visual stimuli in a semi-automated operant system. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 351:109009. [PMID: 33340554 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.109009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive impairment is a distinguishing feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. The intra-dimensional (ID) extra-dimensional (ED) attentional set shift task is part of a clinical battery of tests used to evaluate executive function in Huntington's and Alzheimer's disease patients. The IDED task, however, has not translated well to pre-clinical rodent models of neurological disease. NEW METHOD The ability to perform executive tasks coupled with a long lifespan makes sheep (Ovis aries) an ideal species for modelling cognitive decline in progressive neurodegenerative conditions. We describe the methodology for testing the performance of sheep in the IDED task using a semi-automated system in which visual stimuli are presented as coloured letters on computer screens. RESULTS During each stage of IDED testing, all sheep (n = 12) learned successfully to discriminate between different colours and letters. Sheep were quick to learn the rules of acquisition at each stage. They required significantly more trials to reach criterion (p < 0.05) and made more errors (p < 0.05) following stimulus reversal, with the exception of the ED shift (p > 0.05). COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) Previous research shows that sheep can perform IDED set shifting in a walk-through maze using solid objects with two changeable dimensions (colour and shape) as the stimuli. Presenting the stimuli on computer screens provides better validity, greater task flexibility and higher throughput than the walk-through maze. CONCLUSION All sheep completed each stage of the task, with a range of abilities expected in an outbred population. The IDED task described is ideally suited as a quantifiable and clinically translatable measure of executive function in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Sorby-Adams
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - W T Schneider
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - R P Goncalves
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - F Knolle
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology, Klinikum recht der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - A J Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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Withey SL, Doyle RJ, Porter EN, Bergman J, Kangas BD. Discrimination learning in oxycodone-treated nonhuman primates. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 207:107778. [PMID: 31816487 PMCID: PMC6980969 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prescription opioid abuse continues to be a public health concern of epidemic proportions. Notwithstanding the extensive literature regarding opioid action, there has been little systematic research regarding the effects of opioid dependence and withdrawal on aspects of cognition-related behavior in laboratory animals. The present studies examined the effects of the prescription opioid oxycodone on learning processes in nonhuman primates. METHODS The ability of subjects to repeatedly learn novel touchscreen-based visual discriminations was examined during three conditions of opioid exposure. Discrimination learning was examined, first, during oxycodone self-administration (3-hr sessions, 0.1 mg/kg/injection) and, next, during non-contingent chronic treatment with oxycodone (10 mg/kg/day). Finally, discrimination learning was re-examined during antagonist-precipitated opioid withdrawal (0.001-0.1 mg/kg naltrexone) and, subsequently, following abrupt discontinuation of oxycodone treatment. RESULTS Although motoric behavior was disrupted by oxycodone, neither the development of discrimination learning nor steady-state performance were impaired following oxycodone self-administration or during non-contingent chronic oxycodone treatment. However, discrimination learning was substantially impaired during oxycodone withdrawal, whether elicited by naltrexone or by abrupt oxycodone discontinuation. Moreover, these learning impairments were concordant with autonomic signs of opioid withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, the present studies indicate that impairment of learning processes can accompany the unconditioned signs of opioid withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Withey
- Behavioral Biology Program, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rachel J. Doyle
- Behavioral Biology Program, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Erica N. Porter
- Behavioral Biology Program, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Jack Bergman
- Behavioral Biology Program, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Brian D. Kangas
- Behavioral Biology Program, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Corresponding author at: Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA. (B.D. Kangas)
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Kangas BD, Doyle RJ, Kohut SJ, Bergman J, Kaufman MJ. Effects of chronic cocaine self-administration and N-acetylcysteine on learning, cognitive flexibility, and reinstatement in nonhuman primates. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:2143-2153. [PMID: 30877326 PMCID: PMC6626691 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05211-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is associated with cognitive deficits that have been linked to poor treatment outcomes. An improved understanding of cocaine's deleterious effects on cognition may help optimize pharmacotherapies. Emerging evidence implicates abnormalities in glutamate neurotransmission in CUD and drugs that normalize glutamatergic homeostasis (e.g., N-acetylcysteine [NAC]) may attenuate CUD-related relapse behavior. OBJECTIVES The present studies examined the impact of chronic cocaine exposure on touchscreen-based models of learning (repeated acquisition) and cognitive flexibility (discrimination reversal) and, also, the ability of NAC to modulate cocaine self-administration and its capacity to reinstate drug-seeking behavior. METHODS First, stable repeated acquisition and discrimination reversal performance was established. Next, high levels of cocaine-taking behavior (2.13-3.03 mg/kg/session) were maintained for 150 sessions during which repeated acquisition and discrimination reversal performance was probed periodically. Finally, the effects of NAC treatment were examined on cocaine self-administration and, subsequently, extinction and reinstatement. RESULTS Cocaine self-administration significantly impaired performance under both cognitive tasks; however, discrimination reversal was disrupted considerably more than acquisition. Performance eventually approximated baseline levels during chronic exposure. NAC treatment did not perturb ongoing self-administration behavior but was associated with significantly quicker extinction of drug-lever responding. Cocaine-primed reinstatement did not significantly differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS The disruptive effects of cocaine on learning and cognitive flexibility are profound but performance recovered during chronic exposure. Although the effects of NAC on models of drug-taking and drug-seeking behavior in monkeys are less robust than reported in rodents, they nevertheless suggest a role for glutamatergic modulators in CUD treatment programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Kangas
- Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
| | - Rachel J Doyle
- Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Stephen J Kohut
- Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Jack Bergman
- Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Marc J Kaufman
- Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
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Abstract
There is a growing need for new translational animal models designed to capture complex behavioral phenotypes implicated in addiction and other neuropsychiatric conditions. For example, a complete understanding of the effects of commonly abused drugs, as well as candidate medications, requires assessments of their effects on learning, memory, attention, and other cognition-related behavior. Modern touch-sensitive technology provides an extremely flexible means to expose an experimental subject to a variety of complex behavioral tasks designed to assay dimensions of cognitive function before, during, and after drug administration. In addition to tailored variants of gold-standard cognitive assessments, touchscreen chambers offer the ability to develop novel tasks based upon the researcher's needs. This methods perspective presents (i) a brief review of previous touchscreen-based animal studies, (ii) a primer on the construction of a touch-sensitive experimental chamber, and (iii) data from a proof-of-concept study examining cross-species continuity in performance across a diverse assortment of animal subjects (rats, marmosets, squirrel monkeys, and rhesus macaques) using the repeated acquisition task - a modern variant of a traditional animal model of learning. Taken together, the procedures and data discussed in this review illustrate the point that contemporary touchscreen methodology can be tailored to desired experimental goals and adapted to provide formal similarity in cognition-related tasks across experimental species. Moreover, touchscreen methodology allows for the development of new translational models that emerge through laboratory and clinical discovery to capture important dimensions of complex behavior and cognitive function.
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Hutsell BA, Banks ML. Remifentanil maintains lower initial delayed nonmatching-to-sample accuracy compared to food pellets in male rhesus monkeys. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2017; 25:441-447. [PMID: 29251972 PMCID: PMC5737790 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Emerging human laboratory and preclinical drug self-administration data suggest that a history of contingent abused drug exposure impairs performance in operant discrimination procedures, such as delayed nonmatching-to-sample (DNMTS), that are hypothesized to assess components of executive function. However, these preclinical discrimination studies have exclusively used food as the reinforcer and the effects of drugs as reinforcers in these operant procedures are unknown. The present study determined effects of contingent intravenous remifentanil injections on DNMTS performance hypothesized to assess 1 aspect of executive function, working memory. Daily behavioral sessions consisted of 2 components with sequential intravenous remifentanil (0, 0.01-1.0 μg/kg/injection) or food (0, 1-10 pellets) availability in nonopioid dependent male rhesus monkeys (n = 3). Remifentanil functioned as a reinforcer in the DNMTS procedure. Similar delay-dependent DNMTS accuracy was observed under both remifentanil- and food-maintained components, such that higher accuracies were maintained at shorter (0.1-1.0 s) delays and lower accuracies approaching chance performance were maintained at longer (10-32 s) delays. Remifentanil maintained significantly lower initial DNMTS accuracy compared to food. Reinforcer magnitude was not an important determinant of DNMTS accuracy for either remifentanil or food. These results extend the range of experimental procedures under which drugs function as reinforcers. Furthermore, the selective remifentanil-induced decrease in initial DNMTS accuracy is consistent with a selective impairment of attentional, but not memorial, processes. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake A Hutsell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Matthew L Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Corresponding Author: Matthew L. Banks, PharmD, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 410 North 12 Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA 23298, Phone: (804) 828-8466, Fax: (804) 828-2117,
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Moszczynska A, Callan SP. Molecular, Behavioral, and Physiological Consequences of Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity: Implications for Treatment. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2017; 362:474-488. [PMID: 28630283 PMCID: PMC11047030 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.116.238501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between the molecular mechanisms underlying neurotoxicity of high-dose methamphetamine (METH) and related clinical manifestations is imperative for providing more effective treatments for human METH users. This article provides an overview of clinical manifestations of METH neurotoxicity to the central nervous system and neurobiology underlying the consequences of administration of neurotoxic METH doses, and discusses implications of METH neurotoxicity for treatment of human abusers of the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Moszczynska
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Sean Patrick Callan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
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Aarde SM, Taffe MA. Predicting the Abuse Liability of Entactogen-Class, New and Emerging Psychoactive Substances via Preclinical Models of Drug Self-administration. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2017; 32:145-164. [PMID: 27909988 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Animal models of drug self-administration are currently the gold standard for making predictions regarding the relative likelihood that a recreational drug substance will lead to continued use and addiction. Such models have been found to have high predictive accuracy and discriminative validity for a number of drug classes including ethanol, nicotine, opioids, and psychostimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine. Members of the entactogen class of psychostimulants (drugs that produce an "open mind state" including feelings of interpersonal closeness, intimacy and empathy) have been less frequently studied in self-administration models. The prototypical entactogen 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; "Ecstasy") supports self-administration but not with the same consistency nor with the same efficacy as structurally related drugs amphetamine or methamphetamine. Consistent with these observations, MDMA use is more episodic in the majority of those who use it frequently. Nevertheless, substantial numbers of MDMA users will meet the criteria for substance dependence at some point in their use history. This review examines the currently available evidence from rodent self-administration studies of MDMA and two of the new and emerging psychoactive substances (NPS) that produce entactogen type neuropharmacological responses - mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone; 4MMC; "meow meow") and methylone (3,4-methylenedioxymethcathinone). Overall, the current evidence predicts that these NPS entactogens have enhanced abuse liability compared with MDMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn M Aarde
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders Mailcode SP30-2400, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michael A Taffe
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders Mailcode SP30-2400, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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