1
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Ayali N, Tauman R, Peles E. Prevalence of high impulsivity and its relation to sleep indices in opioid use disorder patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 175:211-217. [PMID: 38744160 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relation between impulsivity and sleep indices is not well determined in patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). AIMS to evaluate high impulsivity prevalence, its risk factors and relation with sleep indices. METHODS a random MMT sample (n = 61) plus MMT current cocaine users (n = 20) were assessed for impulsivity (Barratt impulsivity scale [BIS-11] and Balloon Analogue Risk task [BART]), sleep quality (Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]), sleepiness (The Epworth sleepiness scale [ESS]), and substance in urine. RESULTS 81 patients, aged 56.6 ± 10, 54.3% tested positive to any substance, 53.1% with poor sleep (PSQI>5) and 43.2% with daytime sleepiness (ESS >7) were studied. Impulsivity (BIS-11 ≥ 72) prevalence was 27.9% (of the representative sample), and 30.9% of all participants. These patients characterized with any substance and shorter duration in MMT with no sleep indices or other differences including BART balloon task performance (that was higher only in any substance than non-substance user group). However, impulsive score linearly correlated with daytime sleepiness (R = 0.2, p = 0.05). Impulsivity proportion was lowest among those with no cocaine followed by cocaine use and the highest in those who used cocaine and opiates (20.8%, 33.3% and 60% respectively, p = 0.02), as daily sleep (38.3%, 42.1% and 60%, p = 0.3) although not statistically significant. CONCLUSION Daytime sleepiness correlated with impulsivity, but cocaine usage is the robust factor. Further follow-up is warranted to determine whether substance discontinuing will lead to a reduction in impulsivity, and improved vigilance. Sleep quality did not relate to daytime sleepiness and impulsivity and need further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noya Ayali
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Riva Tauman
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sieratzki-Sagol Institute for Sleep Medicine, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel
| | - Einat Peles
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Dr. Miriam & Sheldon G. Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse, Treatment & Research, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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2
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Welsch L, Colantonio E, Frison M, Johnson DA, McClain SP, Mathis V, Banghart MR, Ben Hamida S, Darcq E, Kieffer BL. Mu Opioid Receptor-Expressing Neurons in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus Are Involved in Reward Processing and Affective Behaviors. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:842-851. [PMID: 37285896 PMCID: PMC10850692 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mu opioid receptors (MORs) are key for reward processing, mostly studied in dopaminergic pathways. MORs are also expressed in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), which is central for the modulation of reward and mood, but MOR function in the DRN remains underexplored. Here, we investigated whether MOR-expressing neurons of the DRN (DRN-MOR neurons) participate in reward and emotional responses. METHODS We characterized DRN-MOR neurons anatomically using immunohistochemistry and functionally using fiber photometry in responses to morphine and rewarding/aversive stimuli. We tested the effect of opioid uncaging on the DRN on place conditioning. We examined the effect of DRN-MOR neuron optostimulation on positive reinforcement and mood-related behaviors. We mapped their projections and selected DRN-MOR neurons projecting to the lateral hypothalamus for a similar optogenetic experimentation. RESULTS DRN-MOR neurons form a heterogeneous neuronal population essentially composed of GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) and glutamatergic neurons. Calcium activity of DRN-MOR neurons was inhibited by rewarding stimuli and morphine. Local photo-uncaging of oxymorphone in the DRN produced conditioned place preference. DRN-MOR neuron optostimulation triggered real-time place preference and was self-administered, promoted social preference, and reduced anxiety and passive coping. Finally, specific optostimulation of DRN-MOR neurons projecting to the lateral hypothalamus recapitulated the reinforcing effects of total DRN-MOR neuron stimulation. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that DRN-MOR neurons respond to rewarding stimuli and that their optoactivation has reinforcing effects and promotes positive emotional responses, an activity which is partially mediated by their projections to the lateral hypothalamus. Our study also suggests a complex regulation of DRN activity by MOR opioids, involving mixed inhibition/activation mechanisms that fine-tune DRN function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lola Welsch
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; INSERM U1114, Department of Psychiatry, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Esther Colantonio
- INSERM U1114, Department of Psychiatry, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mathilde Frison
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Desiree A Johnson
- Neurobiology Department, School of the Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Shannan P McClain
- Neurobiology Department, School of the Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Victor Mathis
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, UPR 3212, Strasbourg, France
| | - Matthew R Banghart
- Neurobiology Department, School of the Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Sami Ben Hamida
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; INSERM UMR 1247, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Emmanuel Darcq
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; INSERM U1114, Department of Psychiatry, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Brigitte L Kieffer
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; INSERM U1114, Department of Psychiatry, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
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3
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Blejewski RC, Van Heukelom JT, Langford JS, Hunt KH, Rinkert IR, Wagner TJ, Pitts RC, Hughes CE. Behavioral mechanisms of oxycodone's effects in female and male rats: Reinforcement delay and impulsive choice. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:1050-1068. [PMID: 37199913 PMCID: PMC10656366 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
μ-Opioid agonists (e.g., morphine) typically increase impulsive choice, which has been interpreted as an opioid-induced increase in sensitivity to reinforcement delay. Relatively little research has been done with opioids other than morphine (e.g., oxycodone), or on sex differences in opioid effects, on impulsive choice. The present study investigated the effects of acute (0.1-1.0 mg/kg) and chronic (1.0 mg/kg twice/day) administration of oxycodone on choice controlled by reinforcement delay, a primary mechanism implicated in impulsive choice, in female and male rats. Rats responded under a concurrent-chains procedure designed to quantify the effects of reinforcement delay on choice within each session. For both sexes, choice was sensitive to delay under this procedure. Sensitivity to delay under baseline was slightly higher for males than females, suggesting more impulsive choice with males. When given acutely, intermediate and higher doses of oxycodone decreased sensitivity to delay; this effect was larger and more reliable in males than females. When given chronically, sex differences were also observed: tolerance developed to the sensitivity-decreasing effects in females, whereas sensitization developed in males. These data suggest that reinforcement delay may play an important role in sex differences in impulsive choice, as well as in the effects of acute and chronic administration of opioids in impulsive choice. However, drug-induced changes in impulsive choice could be related to at least two potential behavioral mechanisms: reinforcement delay and/or reinforcement magnitude. Effects of oxycodone on sensitivity to reinforcement magnitude remain to be fully characterized. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeremy S. Langford
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University
| | - Katelyn H. Hunt
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
| | | | - Thomas J. Wagner
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
| | - Raymond C. Pitts
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
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4
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Barrett JE, Shekarabi A, Inan S. Oxycodone: A Current Perspective on Its Pharmacology, Abuse, and Pharmacotherapeutic Developments. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:1062-1118. [PMID: 37321860 PMCID: PMC10595024 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxycodone, a semisynthetic derivative of naturally occurring thebaine, an opioid alkaloid, has been available for more than 100 years. Although thebaine cannot be used therapeutically due to the occurrence of convulsions at higher doses, it has been converted to a number of other widely used compounds that include naloxone, naltrexone, buprenorphine, and oxycodone. Despite the early identification of oxycodone, it was not until the 1990s that clinical studies began to explore its analgesic efficacy. These studies were followed by the pursuit of several preclinical studies to examine the analgesic effects and abuse liability of oxycodone in laboratory animals and the subjective effects in human volunteers. For a number of years oxycodone was at the forefront of the opioid crisis, playing a significant role in contributing to opioid misuse and abuse, with suggestions that it led to transitioning to other opioids. Several concerns were expressed as early as the 1940s that oxycodone had significant abuse potential similar to heroin and morphine. Both animal and human abuse liability studies have confirmed, and in some cases amplified, these early warnings. Despite sharing a similar structure with morphine and pharmacological actions also mediated by the μ-opioid receptor, there are several differences in the pharmacology and neurobiology of oxycodone. The data that have emerged from the many efforts to analyze the pharmacological and molecular mechanism of oxycodone have generated considerable insight into its many actions, reviewed here, which, in turn, have provided new information on opioid receptor pharmacology. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Oxycodone, a μ-opioid receptor agonist, was synthesized in 1916 and introduced into clinical use in Germany in 1917. It has been studied extensively as a therapeutic analgesic for acute and chronic neuropathic pain as an alternative to morphine. Oxycodone emerged as a drug with widespread abuse. This article brings together an integrated, detailed review of the pharmacology of oxycodone, preclinical and clinical studies of pain and abuse, and recent advances to identify potential opioid analgesics without abuse liability.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E Barrett
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Aryan Shekarabi
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Saadet Inan
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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5
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Eikemo M, Meier IM, Løseth G, Trøstheim M, Ørstavik N, Jensen EN, Garland EL, Berna C, Ernst G, Leknes S. Opioid analgesic effects on subjective well-being in the operating theatre. Anaesthesia 2023; 78:1102-1111. [PMID: 37381617 PMCID: PMC10714491 DOI: 10.1111/anae.16069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to opioid analgesics due to surgery increases the risk of new persistent opioid use. A mechanistic hypothesis for opioids' abuse liability rests on the belief that, in addition to pain relief, acute opioid treatment improves well-being (e.g. via euphoria) and relieves anxiety. However, opioids do not consistently improve mood in laboratory studies of healthy non-opioid users. This observational study determined how two commonly used opioid analgesics affected patients' subjective well-being in standard clinical practice. Day surgery patients rated how good and how anxious they felt before and after an open-label infusion of remifentanil (n = 159) or oxycodone (n = 110) in the operating theatre before general anaesthesia. One minute after drug injection, patients reported feeling intoxicated (> 6/10 points). Anxiety was reduced after opioids, but this anxiolytic effect was modest (remifentanil Cohen's d = 0.21; oxycodone d = 0.31). There was moderate to strong evidence against a concurrent improvement in well-being (Bayes factors > 6). After remifentanil, ratings of 'feeling good' were significantly reduced from pre-drug ratings (d = 0.28). After oxycodone, one in three participants felt better than pre-drug. Exploratory ordered logistic regressions revealed a link between previous opioid exposure and opioid effects on well-being, as only 14 of the 80 opioid-naïve patients reported feeling better after opioid injection. The odds of improved well-being ratings after opioids were higher in patients with previous opioid exposure and highest in patients with > 2 weeks previous opioid use (adjusted OR = 4.4). These data suggest that opioid-induced improvement of well-being is infrequent in opioid-naïve patients. We speculate that peri-operative exposure could increase risk of persistent use by rendering subsequent positive opioid effects on well-being more likely.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Eikemo
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Physics and Computational Radiology, Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - I. M. Meier
- Department of Physics and Computational Radiology, Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - G.E. Løseth
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - M. Trøstheim
- Department of Physics and Computational Radiology, Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - N. Ørstavik
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - E. N. Jensen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - E. L. Garland
- College of Social Work, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - C. Berna
- Center for Integrative and Complementary Medicine, Division of Anaesthesiology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
- The Sense, Lausanne University, Switzerland
| | - G. Ernst
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Kongsberg Hospital, Kongsberg, Norway
| | - S. Leknes
- Department of Physics and Computational Radiology, Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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6
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Sarmiento LF, Ríos-Flórez JA, Paez-Ardila HA, Lima de Sousa PS, Olivera-La Rosa A, Oliveira da Silva AMH, Gouveia A. Pharmacological Modulation of Temporal Discounting: A Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11071046. [PMID: 37046974 PMCID: PMC10093895 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11071046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporal discounting is a phenomenon where a reward loses its value as a function of time (e.g., a reward is more valuable immediately than when it delays in time). This is a type of intertemporal decision-making that has an association with impulsivity and self-control. Many pathologies exhibit higher discounting rates, meaning they discount more the values of rewards, such as addictive behaviors, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders, social anxiety disorders, and major depressive disorder, among others; thus, many studies look for the mechanism and neuromodulators of these decisions. This systematic review aims to investigate the association between pharmacological administration and changes in temporal discounting. A search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct and Cochrane. We used the PICO strategy: healthy humans (P-Participants) that received a pharmacological administration (I-Intervention) and the absence of a pharmacological administration or placebo (C-Comparison) to analyze the relationship between the pharmacological administration and the temporal discounting (O-outcome). Nineteen studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The most important findings were the involvement of dopamine modulation in a U-shape for choosing the delayed outcome (metoclopradime, haloperidol, and amisulpride). Furthermore, administration of tolcapone and high doses of d-amphetamine produced a preference for the delayed option. There was a time-dependent hydrocortisone effect in the preference for the immediate reward. Thus, it can be concluded that dopamine is a crucial modulator for temporal discounting, especially the D2 receptor, and cortisol also has an important time-dependent role in this type of decision. One of the limitations of this systematic review is the heterogeneity of the drugs used to assess the effect of temporal discounting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Felipe Sarmiento
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Federal University from Pará, Belém 66050-160, Brazil
| | - Jorge Alexander Ríos-Flórez
- Neuroanatomy Laboratory, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
- Department of Psychology, Politécnico Grancolombiano University Institution, Medellín 745220, Colombia
| | - Hector Andres Paez-Ardila
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Federal University from Pará, Belém 66050-160, Brazil
- Department of Psychology, Universidad Manuela Beltran, Bucaramanga 680004, Colombia
| | | | - Antonio Olivera-La Rosa
- Department of Psychological and Social Sciences, Universidad Católica Luis Amigó, Medellín 050034, Colombia
- Human Evolution and Cognition Group, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | | | - Amauri Gouveia
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Federal University from Pará, Belém 66050-160, Brazil
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7
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Giustiniani J, Rothen S, Penzenstadler L, Colombo L, Calzada G, Thorens G, Zullino D. Does slow release oral morphine have impact on craving and impulsivity in heroin dependent individuals? Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 38:16-22. [PMID: 35833289 PMCID: PMC9722371 DOI: 10.1097/yic.0000000000000418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Craving and impulsivity are addiction components which explain why heroin-dependant individuals (HDI), continue using heroin despite not wanting to do so. Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT), such as slow-release oral morphine (SROM), is the most effective treatment for opioid dependence. However, the impact of SROM on craving and impulsivity remains unclear. In this observational study, 23 HDI receiving SROM, their usual OMT, took part in the experiment. Each of the participants filled in the perceived level of craving with a visual analog scale. Their impulsivity was assessed via three laboratory tasks, the stop-signal reaction time, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task and delay discounting. Each evaluation was performed before and after SROM administration. Craving was significantly reduced after administration of SROM (difference 2.83; P = 0.0010), whereas there were no significant differences in performance in the three laboratory tasks. In the long term, we observed an improvement on delay discounting correlated with the duration and dosage of SROM. The acute impact of SROM appears to significantly reduce craving, without impacting impulsivity. Observation of the correlation between delay discounting and the duration and dosage of OMT is of great interest and should be studied further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Giustiniani
- Addictology Division, Mental Health and Psychiatry Department, Geneva University Hospitals
| | - Stéphane Rothen
- Addictology Division, Mental Health and Psychiatry Department, Geneva University Hospitals
- Research Center for Statistics, University of Geneva, Geneva School of Management and Economics
| | - Louise Penzenstadler
- Addictology Division, Mental Health and Psychiatry Department, Geneva University Hospitals
| | - Laura Colombo
- Addictology Division, Mental Health and Psychiatry Department, Geneva University Hospitals
| | - Gérard Calzada
- Addictology Division, Mental Health and Psychiatry Department, Geneva University Hospitals
- Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel Thorens
- Addictology Division, Mental Health and Psychiatry Department, Geneva University Hospitals
- Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Daniele Zullino
- Addictology Division, Mental Health and Psychiatry Department, Geneva University Hospitals
- Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland
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8
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Akhurst J, Lovell M, Peacock A, Bruno R. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cognitive Performance among People with Chronic Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain. PAIN MEDICINE 2021; 22:979-993. [PMID: 33502504 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnab005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Opioids, often prescribed for chronic non-cancer pain, may adversely affect cognition. Research has not been synthesized in recent years, during which time academic interest has increased. This study presents meta-analyses on cognitive performance in people taking opioids for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP). METHODS We ran systematic literature searches in EMBASE, Medline, and PsycINFO. Eligible studies included people taking opioids for CNCP, an opioid-free group (i.e., case-control) or session (e.g., pre-post), and objective cognitive assessments. Using random-effects meta-analyses, we computed pooled effect sizes for differential task performance for each study design across five domains (motor performance, attention, working memory, executive functions, memory). RESULTS Seventeen studies were included. Case-control studies covered three control types (healthy, CNCP, taper-off). Pre-post studies were grouped into five follow-ups (four to six and six to nine weeks; three, six, and 12 months). Effect sizes ranged from 0.02-0.62. Cases showed small magnitude impairments in attention and memory compared with healthy controls. Although limited by small sample sizes, there was no clear evidence of impairment in cases compared with opioid-free controls with CNCP. Cases showed some cognitive improvements from opioid-free baseline to follow-up. Effects were strongest for attention and working memory and were apparent from four weeks to six months follow-up. Other effects were small and nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS Opioid therapy for CNCP did not worsen cognitive performance and improved it for some domains. People who take opioids for CNCP may evidence deficits in attention and memory, but this is unlikely to translate to global impairment and likely relates to pain more so than opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Akhurst
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Monica Lovell
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Amy Peacock
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia.,National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Raimondo Bruno
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia.,National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia
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9
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Meier IM, Eikemo M, Leknes S. The Role of Mu-Opioids for Reward and Threat Processing in Humans: Bridging the Gap from Preclinical to Clinical Opioid Drug Studies. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2021; 8:306-318. [PMID: 34722114 PMCID: PMC8550464 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-021-00366-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Opioid receptors are widely expressed in the human brain. A number of features commonly associated with drug use disorder, such as difficulties in emotional learning, emotion regulation and anhedonia, have been linked to endogenous opioid signalling. Whereas chronic substance use and misuse are thought to alter the function of the mu-opioid system, the specific mechanisms are not well understood. We argue that understanding exogenous and endogenous opioid effects in the healthy human brain is an essential foundation for bridging preclinical and clinical findings related to opioid misuse. Here, we will examine psychopharmacological evidence to outline the role of the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) system in the processing of threat and reward, and discuss how disruption of these processes by chronic opioid use might alter emotional learning and reward responsiveness. RECENT FINDINGS In healthy people, studies using opioid antagonist drugs indicate that the brain's endogenous opioids downregulate fear reactivity and upregulate learning from safety. At the same time, endogenous opioids increase the liking of and motivation to engage with high reward value cues. Studies of acute opioid agonist effects indicate that with non-sedative doses, drugs such as morphine and buprenorphine can mimic endogenous opioid effects on liking and wanting. Disruption of endogenous opioid signalling due to prolonged opioid exposure is associated with some degree of anhedonia to non-drug rewards; however, new results leave open the possibility that this is not directly opioid-mediated. SUMMARY The available human psychopharmacological evidence indicates that the healthy mu-opioid system contributes to the regulation of reward and threat processing. Overall, endogenous opioids can subtly increase liking and wanting responses to a wide variety of rewards, from sweet tastes to feelings of being connected to close others. For threat-related processing, human evidence suggests that endogenous opioids inhibit fear conditioning and reduce the sensitivity to aversive stimuli, although inconsistencies remain. The size of effects reported in healthy humans are however modest, clearly indicating that MORs play out their role in close concert with other neurotransmitter systems. Relevant candidate systems for future research include dopamine, serotonin and endocannabinoid signalling. Nevertheless, it is possible that endogenous opioid fine-tuning of reward and threat processing, when unbalanced by e.g. opioid misuse, could over time develop into symptoms associated with opioid use disorder, such as anhedonia and depression/anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabell M. Meier
- Department of Diagnostic Physics, Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Marie Eikemo
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri Leknes
- Department of Diagnostic Physics, Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
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10
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Strickland JC, Johnson MW. Rejecting impulsivity as a psychological construct: A theoretical, empirical, and sociocultural argument. Psychol Rev 2021; 128:336-361. [PMID: 32969672 PMCID: PMC8610097 DOI: 10.1037/rev0000263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We demonstrate through theoretical, empirical, and sociocultural evidence that the concept of impulsivity fails the basic requirements of a psychological construct and should be rejected as such. Impulsivity (or impulsiveness) currently holds a central place in psychological theory, research, and clinical practice and is considered a multifaceted concept. However, impulsivity falls short of the theoretical specifications for hypothetical constructs by having meaning that is not compatible with psychometric, neuroscience, and clinical data. Psychometric findings indicate that impulsive traits and behaviors (e.g., response inhibition, delay discounting) are largely uncorrelated and fail to load onto a single, superordinate latent variable. Modern neuroscience has also failed to identify a specific and central neurobehavioral mechanism underlying impulsive behaviors and instead has found separate neurochemical systems and loci that contribute to a variety of impulsivity types. Clinically, these different impulsivity types show diverging and distinct pathways and processes relating to behavioral and psychosocial health. The predictive validity and sensitivity of impulsivity measures to pharmacological, behavioral, and cognitive interventions also vary based on the impulsivity type evaluated and clinical condition examined. Conflation of distinct personality and behavioral mechanisms under a single umbrella of impulsivity ultimately increases the likelihood of misunderstanding at a sociocultural level and facilitates misled hypothesizing and artificial inconsistencies for clinical translation. We strongly recommend that, based on this comprehensive evidence, psychological scientists and neuroscientists reject the language of impulsivity in favor of a specific focus on the several well-defined and empirically supported factors that impulsivity is purported to cover. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | - Matthew W Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
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11
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Abstract
The opioid epidemic underscores the need for safer and more effective treatments for pain. Combining opioid receptor agonists with drugs that relieve pain through nonopioid mechanisms could be a useful strategy for reducing the dose of opioid needed to treat pain, thereby reducing risks associated with opioids alone. Opioid/cannabinoid mixtures might be useful in this context; individually, opioids and cannabinoids have modest effects on cognition, and it is important to determine whether those effects occur with mixtures. Delay discounting and delayed matching-to-sample tasks were used to examine effects of the mu-opioid receptor agonist morphine (0.32-5.6 mg/kg), the cannabinoid CB1/CB2 receptor agonist CP55940 (0.0032-0.1 mg/kg), and morphine/CP55940 mixtures on impulsivity (n = 3) and memory (n = 4) in rhesus monkeys. Alone, each drug decreased rate of responding without modifying choice in the delay-discounting task, and morphine/CP55940 mixtures reduced choice of one pellet in a delay dependent manner, with monkeys instead choosing delayed delivery of the larger number of pellets. With the exception of one dose in one monkey, accuracy in the delayed matching-to-sample task was not altered by either drug alone. Morphine/CP55940 mixtures decreased accuracy in two monkeys, but the doses in the mixture were equal to or greater than doses that decreased accuracy or response rate with either drug alone. Rate-decreasing effects of morphine/CP55940 mixtures were additive. These data support the notion that opioid/cannabinoid mixtures that might be effective for treating pain do not have greater, and might have less, adverse effects compared with larger doses of each drug alone.
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Effects of oxycodone on sensitivity to reinforcement magnitude: implications for effects of opioids on impulsive and risky choice. Behav Pharmacol 2020; 31:221-232. [PMID: 31922965 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Opioid addiction/dependence is associated with impulsive and risky behavior. Moreover, opioids can increase impulsive choice in preclinical studies with nonhumans. The objective of this study was to investigate a potential behavioral mechanism of opioids: a change in the impact of reinforcement magnitude on choice. Rats (n = 7) chose between smaller and larger reinforcers under a continuous-choice (concurrent-chains) procedure. The levers associated with the smaller and larger reinforcers alternated every five sessions. During baseline under this procedure, rats showed a reliable preference for the larger reinforcer. Effects of several doses (0.1-1.7 mg/kg, s.c.) of the prescription opioid, oxycodone, were examined on preference based upon reinforcement magnitude. Oxycodone dose-dependently decreased preference for the larger reinforcer (i.e. decreased sensitivity to reinforcement magnitude). The decrease in sensitivity to reinforcement magnitude was selective in that the intermediate doses did not affect, or had minimal impact on, other measures of performance (e.g. on general motivation to respond). These data suggest that a decrease in the sensitivity to reinforcement magnitude is a reliable outcome of μ-opioid administration, an effect that has important implications for the impact of these drugs on both impulsive and risky behavior.
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van Steenbergen H, Eikemo M, Leknes S. The role of the opioid system in decision making and cognitive control: A review. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 19:435-458. [PMID: 30963411 PMCID: PMC6599188 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-019-00710-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The opioid system regulates affective processing, including pain, pleasure, and reward. Restricting the role of this system to hedonic modulation may be an underestimation, however. Opioid receptors are distributed widely in the human brain, including the more "cognitive" regions in the frontal and parietal lobes. Nonhuman animal research points to opioid modulation of cognitive and decision-making processes. We review emerging evidence on whether acute opioid drug modulation in healthy humans can influence cognitive function, such as how we choose between actions of different values and how we control our behavior in the face of distracting information. Specifically, we review studies employing opioid agonists or antagonists together with experimental paradigms of reward-based decision making, impulsivity, executive functioning, attention, inhibition, and effort. Although this field is still in its infancy, the emerging picture suggests that the mu-opioid system can influence higher-level cognitive function via modulation of valuation, motivation, and control circuits dense in mu-opioid receptors, including orbitofrontal cortex, basal ganglia, amygdalae, anterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex. The framework that we put forward proposes that opioids influence decision making and cognitive control by increasing the subjective value of reward and reducing aversive arousal. We highlight potential mechanisms that might underlie the effects of mu-opioid signaling on decision making and cognitive control and provide directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henk van Steenbergen
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Marie Eikemo
- Department of Diagnostic Physics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri Leknes
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Abstract
µ-Opioid receptor agonists are commonly used to treat pain despite their adverse effects. In preclinical studies, cannabinoid receptor agonists increase the potency of opioids for producing antinociceptive but not reinforcing effects. It is unknown whether other adverse effects of these drugs, such as impairment of complex behavior, are enhanced by their co-administration. This study characterized the effects of morphine (µ-opioid receptor agonist; 0.32-5.6 mg/kg, subcutaneously) and CP55940 (CB1/CB2 cannabinoid receptor agonist; 0.0032-0.32 mg/kg, subcutaneously), alone and in mixtures, in monkeys (n=3) choosing between one pellet delivered immediately and two pellets delivered after a delay. Two consecutive choices of the immediate or delayed reward decreased or increased, respectively, the delay. The median adjusted delay, indicating indifference between the immediate and delayed reinforcers, was increased by morphine (3.2 mg/kg) and CP55940 (0.01-0.032 mg/kg). Performance after administration of morphine (0.32 and 1 mg/kg)/CP55940 (0.0032-0.032 mg/kg) mixtures was not different from performance after CP55940 alone. Neither morphine, CP55940, nor mixtures decreased the median adjusted delay (i.e. increased impulsivity). These findings failed to confirm previous studies showing that morphine increases impulsivity, perhaps because of procedural differences among studies. Treatment of pain often requires repeated drug administration; thus, it remains to be determined whether the present findings predict the effects of chronically administered morphine/CP5540 mixtures on impulsive choice.
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Harries MD, Lust K, Christenson GA, Redden SA, Grant JE. Prescription opioid medication misuse among university students. Am J Addict 2018; 27:618-624. [DOI: 10.1111/ajad.12807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Harries
- Department of Psychiatry; Behavioral Neuroscience University of Chicago; Chicago Illinois
| | - Katherine Lust
- Boynton Health; University of Minnesota; Minneapolis Minnesota
| | | | - Sarah A. Redden
- Department of Psychiatry; Behavioral Neuroscience University of Chicago; Chicago Illinois
| | - Jon E. Grant
- Department of Psychiatry; Behavioral Neuroscience University of Chicago; Chicago Illinois
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Abstract
The failure of traditional antidepressant medications to adequately target cognitive impairment is associated with poor treatment response, increased risk of relapse, and greater lifetime disability. Opioid receptor antagonists are currently under development as novel therapeutics for major depressive disorder (MDD) and other stress-related illnesses. Although it is known that dysregulation of the endogenous opioid system is observed in patients diagnosed with MDD, the impact of opioidergic neurotransmission on cognitive impairment has not been systematically evaluated. Here we review the literature indicating that opioid manipulations can alter cognitive functions in humans. Furthermore, we detail the preclinical studies that demonstrate the ability of mu-opioid receptor and kappa-opioid receptor ligands to modulate several cognitive processes. Specifically, this review focuses on domains within higher order cognitive processing, including attention and executive functioning, which can differentiate cognitive processes influenced by motivational state.
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Frontal cortex dysfunction as a target for remediation in opiate use disorder: Role in cognitive dysfunction and disordered reward systems. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2018; 239:179-227. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Yates JR, Breitenstein KA, Gunkel BT, Hughes MN, Johnson AB, Rogers KK, Shape SM. Effects of NMDA receptor antagonists on probability discounting depend on the order of probability presentation. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2016; 150-151:31-38. [PMID: 27642050 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Risky decision making can be measured using a probability-discounting procedure, in which animals choose between a small, certain reinforcer and a large, uncertain reinforcer. Recent evidence has identified glutamate as a mediator of risky decision making, as blocking the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor with MK-801 increases preference for a large, uncertain reinforcer. Because the order in which probabilities associated with the large reinforcer can modulate the effects of drugs on choice, the current study determined if NMDA receptor ligands alter probability discounting using ascending and descending schedules. Sixteen rats were trained in a probability-discounting procedure in which the odds against obtaining the large reinforcer increased (n=8) or decreased (n=8) across blocks of trials. Following behavioral training, rats received treatments of the NMDA receptor ligands MK-801 (uncompetitive antagonist; 0, 0.003, 0.01, or 0.03mg/kg), ketamine (uncompetitive antagonist; 0, 1.0, 5.0, or 10.0mg/kg), and ifenprodil (NR2B-selective non-competitive antagonist; 0, 1.0, 3.0, or 10.0mg/kg). Results showed discounting was steeper (indicating increased risk aversion) for rats on an ascending schedule relative to rats on the descending schedule. Furthermore, the effects of MK-801, ketamine, and ifenprodil on discounting were dependent on the schedule used. Specifically, the highest dose of each drug decreased risk taking in rats in the descending schedule, but only MK-801 (0.03mg/kg) increased risk taking in rats on an ascending schedule. These results show that probability presentation order modulates the effects of NMDA receptor ligands on risky decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Yates
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, USA.
| | | | - Benjamin T Gunkel
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, USA
| | - Mallory N Hughes
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, USA
| | - Anthony B Johnson
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, USA
| | | | - Sara M Shape
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, USA
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Effects of amphetamine, morphine, and CP 55, 940 on Go/No-Go task performance in rhesus monkeys. Behav Pharmacol 2016; 26:481-4. [PMID: 26061355 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In humans, impulsivity measured as false alarms in a Go/No-Go task is reportedly decreased by amphetamine and is not affected by oxycodone and delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol. To model these findings in animals, three rhesus monkeys were trained to perform a food-reinforced Go/No-Go task. In this task, amphetamine was found to decrease false alarms (i.e. responding during No-Go trials), but only at doses that also decreased hits (i.e. responding during Go trials). Morphine generally decreased hits but not false alarms. The cannabinoid receptor agonist CP 55, 940 decreased both false alarms and hits, but only at doses that also decreased the number of trials completed. Additional studies in animals and humans are necessary to delineate the conditions under which amphetamine and other psychoactive drugs affect impulsivity in Go/No-Go tasks.
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Harvey-Lewis C, Franklin KBJ. The effect of acute morphine on delay discounting in dependent and non-dependent rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:885-95. [PMID: 25189791 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3724-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Chronic opiate use is associated with increased impulsivity in both humans and animals, and previous studies suggest that acute morphine can increase impulsivity in non-dependent rats. However, the extent to which chronic opiate usage modulates the effect of acute morphine is unknown. METHODS Rats were trained to delay discount 20 % sucrose solution and then randomly assigned to either a dependent group that received a nightly 30 mg/kg subcutaneous dose of morphine or a non-dependent group that received a nightly saline injection. Once dependence was established, rats were then assigned to one of four acute morphine doses (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5 mg/kg). For 5 days, delay discounting curves were determined 22.5 h after maintenance doses and 1 h after their prescribed acute injections. RESULTS In non-dependent rats, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg doses of morphine caused decreased preference for the large reward at all delays. Acute morphine had no effect on discounting curves in dependent rats. CONCLUSIONS Morphine dependence can cause tolerance to the effects of acute morphine on delay discounting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Harvey-Lewis
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
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Weafer J, Mitchell SH, de Wit H. Recent Translational Findings on Impulsivity in Relation to Drug Abuse. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2014; 1:289-300. [PMID: 25678985 PMCID: PMC4323183 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-014-0035-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Impulsive behavior is strongly implicated in drug abuse, as both a cause and a consequence of drug use. To understand how impulsive behaviors lead to and result from drug use, translational evidence from both human and non-human animal studies is needed. Here, we review recent (2009 or later) studies that have investigated two major components of impulsive behavior, inhibitory control and impulsive choice, across preclinical and clinical studies. We concentrate on the stop-signal task as the measure of inhibitory control and delay discounting as the measure of impulsive choice. Consistent with previous reports, recent studies show greater impulsive behavior in drug users compared with non-users. Additionally, new evidence supports the prospective role of impulsive behavior in drug abuse, and has begun to identify the neurobiological mechanisms underlying impulsive behavior. We focus on the commonalities and differences in findings between preclinical and clinical studies, and suggest future directions for translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Weafer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue MC3077, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Suzanne H. Mitchell
- Departments of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatry, L470, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Harriet de Wit
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue MC3077, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Bari A, Robbins TW. Inhibition and impulsivity: Behavioral and neural basis of response control. Prog Neurobiol 2013; 108:44-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1193] [Impact Index Per Article: 108.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Revised: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Schippers MC, Binnekade R, Schoffelmeer ANM, Pattij T, De Vries TJ. Unidirectional relationship between heroin self-administration and impulsive decision-making in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2012; 219:443-52. [PMID: 21887498 PMCID: PMC3249213 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2444-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2011] [Accepted: 08/04/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE There is growing clinical evidence for a strong relationship between drug addiction and impulsivity. However, it is not fully clear whether impulsivity is a pre-existing trait or a consequence of drug abuse. Recent observations in the animal models show that pre-existing levels of impulsivity predict cocaine and nicotine seeking. Whether such relationships also exist with respect to non-stimulant drugs is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE We studied the relationship between impulsive choice and vulnerability to heroin taking and seeking. MATERIALS AND METHODS Rats were selected in the delayed reward task based on individual differences in impulsive choice. Subsequently, heroin intravenous self-administration behaviour was analysed, including acquisition of heroin intake, motivation, extinction and drug- and cue-induced reinstatement. Throughout the entire experiment, changes in impulsive choice were monitored weekly. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION High impulsivity did not predict measures of heroin taking. Moreover, high impulsive rats did not differ from low impulsive rats in extinction rates or heroin- and cue-induced reinstatement. However, both groups became more impulsive as heroin self-administration continued. During abstinence, impulsivity levels returned towards baseline (pre-heroin) levels. Our results indicate that, in contrast to psychostimulants, impulsive choice does not predict vulnerability to heroin seeking and taking. CONCLUSION These data implicate that different neural mechanisms may underlie the vulnerability to opiate and psychostimulant dependence. Moreover, our data suggest that elevated impulsivity levels as observed in heroin-dependent subjects are a consequence of heroin intake rather than a pre-existing vulnerability trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C. Schippers
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Binnekade
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anton N. M. Schoffelmeer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tommy Pattij
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Taco J. De Vries
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Mitchell MR, Vokes CM, Blankenship AL, Simon NW, Setlow B. Effects of acute administration of nicotine, amphetamine, diazepam, morphine, and ethanol on risky decision-making in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2011; 218:703-12. [PMID: 21638222 PMCID: PMC3179555 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2363-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2010] [Accepted: 05/17/2011] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Most individuals can accurately assess the risks and rewards associated with choice alternatives and decide accordingly; however, drug users often display maladaptive decision-making, such that choices are biased toward excessively risky options. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a range of drugs of abuse on risky decision-making. METHODS Male Long-Evans rats were trained in the Risky Decision-Making Task, in which they chose between two levers, one which produced a small, "safe" food reward and the other which produced a large, "risky" food reward. The large reward was accompanied by the risk of a mild footshock, the probability of which increased over the course of each test session (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%). RESULTS Nicotine (0.6 mg/kg) and amphetamine (1.5 mg/kg) caused a significant decrease in choice of the large risky reward (decreased risk taking). Diazepam (1.0 mg/kg) caused a significant increase in choice of the large risky reward (increased risk taking), whereas morphine (3.0 mg/kg) caused only a trend toward increased choice of the large risky reward. Ethanol had no effect on choice behavior. CONCLUSIONS These results show that acute administration of drugs of abuse can modulate risk taking in a drug-specific manner, either increasing or decreasing preference for highly rewarding, but risky, options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marci R Mitchell
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610-0256, USA
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Oxycodone lengthens reproductions of suprasecond time intervals in human research volunteers. Behav Pharmacol 2011; 22:354-61. [PMID: 21750426 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0b013e328348d8b8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Oxycodone, a popularly used opioid for treating pain, is widely abused. Other drugs of abuse have been shown to affect time perception, which, in turn, may affect sensitivity to future consequences. This may contribute to continued use. This study evaluated the effect of oxycodone on time perception in normal healthy volunteers. For this within-subject, double-blind design study, participants performed a temporal reproduction task before and after receiving placebo or oxycodone (15 mg, orally) over six outpatient sessions. Participants were first trained with feedback to reproduce three standard intervals (1.1, 2.2, and 3.3 s) in separate blocks by matching response latency from a start signal to the duration of that block's standard interval. During testing, participants were instructed to reproduce the three intervals from memory without feedback before and after drug administration. Oxycodone significantly lengthened time estimations for the two longer intervals relative to placebo. These results suggest that opioids alter temporal processing for intervals greater than 1 s, raising questions about the effect of these drugs on the valuation of future consequences.
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Wiskerke J, Stoop N, Schetters D, Schoffelmeer ANM, Pattij T. Cannabinoid CB1 receptor activation mediates the opposing effects of amphetamine on impulsive action and impulsive choice. PLoS One 2011; 6:e25856. [PMID: 22016780 PMCID: PMC3189229 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 09/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that acute challenges with psychostimulants such as amphetamine affect impulsive behavior. We here studied the pharmacology underlying the effects of amphetamine in two rat models of impulsivity, the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) and the delayed reward task (DRT), providing measures of inhibitory control, an aspect of impulsive action, and impulsive choice, respectively. We focused on the role of cannabinoid CB1 receptor activation in amphetamine-induced impulsivity as there is evidence that acute challenges with psychostimulants activate the endogenous cannabinoid system, and CB1 receptor activity modulates impulsivity in both rodents and humans. Results showed that pretreatment with either the CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist SR141716A or the neutral CB1 receptor antagonist O-2050 dose-dependently improved baseline inhibitory control in the 5-CSRTT. Moreover, both compounds similarly attenuated amphetamine-induced inhibitory control deficits, suggesting that CB1 receptor activation by endogenously released cannabinoids mediates this aspect of impulsive action. Direct CB1 receptor activation by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) did, however, not affect inhibitory control. Although neither SR141716A nor O-2050 affected baseline impulsive choice in the DRT, both ligands completely prevented amphetamine-induced reductions in impulsive decision making, indicating that CB1 receptor activity may decrease this form of impulsivity. Indeed, acute Δ9-THC was found to reduce impulsive choice in a CB1 receptor-dependent way. Together, these results indicate an important, though complex role for cannabinoid CB1 receptor activity in the regulation of impulsive action and impulsive choice as well as the opposite effects amphetamine has on both forms of impulsive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost Wiskerke
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicky Stoop
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dustin Schetters
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anton N. M. Schoffelmeer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tommy Pattij
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Ashenhurst JR, Jentsch JD, Ray LA. Risk-taking and alcohol use disorders symptomatology in a sample of problem drinkers. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2011; 19:361-70. [PMID: 21707191 PMCID: PMC4166528 DOI: 10.1037/a0024412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between risk-taking behavior and alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms is poorly understood. This study employed a modified version of a behavioral measure of risk-taking, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), to examine its relationship to alcohol use and related symptoms in a community sample of individuals with or at risk for AUD. A total of 158 (71.9% male) participants completed a testing battery that included the BART, a structured diagnostic interview for AUD, and measures of alcohol use and related problems. Estimates of IQ and working memory were assessed as covariates. Results indicated that the relationship between risk-taking propensity, as assessed by the BART, and alcohol problems was significant and negative. Individuals with higher symptom count made fewer pumps per trial on the BART, indicating less risk-taking. It is important to note that this relationship was attenuated when controlling for estimated IQ and working memory span. Further examination demonstrated that IQ and age mediated the relationship between risk-taking propensity and symptom count. The main negative relationship observed between risk-taking on the BART and alcohol use and AUD symptomatology in this sample stands in contrast to the positive relationships observed in adolescent and nonclinical samples. Together, these findings highlight the need to consider development and the course of addiction to fully elucidate the effects of risky-decision making on AUD liability. Furthermore, our results demonstrate the importance of inclusion of neurocognitive covariates (IQ), as well as demographic variables (age) when using this task.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R. Ashenhurst
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Los Angeles
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - J. David Jentsch
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry & Bio-behavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Lara A. Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry & Bio-behavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
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Wiskerke J, Schetters D, van Es IE, van Mourik Y, den Hollander BRO, Schoffelmeer ANM, Pattij T. μ-Opioid receptors in the nucleus accumbens shell region mediate the effects of amphetamine on inhibitory control but not impulsive choice. J Neurosci 2011; 31:262-72. [PMID: 21209211 PMCID: PMC6622756 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4794-10.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2010] [Revised: 10/22/2010] [Accepted: 10/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute challenges with psychostimulants such as amphetamine affect impulsive behavior in both animals and humans. With regard to amphetamine, it is important to unravel how this drug affects impulsivity since it is not only a widely abused recreational drug but also regularly prescribed to ameliorate maladaptive impulsivity. Therefore, we studied the effects of amphetamine in two rat models of impulsivity, the five-choice serial reaction time task and the delayed-reward task, providing measures of inhibitory control and impulsive choice, respectively. We focused on the role of opioid receptor activation in amphetamine-induced impulsivity as there is ample evidence indicating an important role for endogenous opioids in several behavioral and neurochemical effects of amphetamine. Results showed that amphetamine-induced inhibitory control deficits were dose-dependently attenuated by the preferential μ-opioid receptor antagonist naloxone, but not by the selective δ-opioid receptor antagonist naltrindole or κ-opioid receptor antagonist nor-BNI (nor-binaltorphimine dihydrochloride). In contrast, naloxone did not affect amphetamine-induced improvements in impulsive decision making. Naloxone also completely prevented inhibitory control deficits induced by GBR 12909 [1-(2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy] ethyl)-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine dihydrochloride], a selective dopamine transporter inhibitor. Intracranial infusions of naloxone, the selective μ-opioid receptor antagonist CTAP (H-D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH(2)), morphine, and the selective μ-opioid receptor agonist DAMGO ([D-Ala(2),N-Me-Phe(4),Gly(5)-ol]-enkephalin acetate salt) revealed that μ-opioid receptor activation in the shell rather than the core subregion of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) modulates inhibitory control and subserves the effect of amphetamine thereon. Together, these results indicate an important role for NAc shell μ-opioid receptors in the regulation of inhibitory control, probably via an interaction between these receptors and the mesolimbic dopamine system.
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MESH Headings
- Amphetamine/pharmacology
- Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacology
- Animals
- Attention/drug effects
- Central Nervous System Stimulants/pharmacology
- Choice Behavior/drug effects
- Choice Behavior/physiology
- Conditioning, Operant/drug effects
- Dopamine/pharmacology
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Interactions
- Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-/pharmacology
- Impulsive Behavior/chemically induced
- Impulsive Behavior/physiopathology
- Inhibition, Psychological
- Male
- Motivation/drug effects
- Naloxone/pharmacology
- Naltrexone/analogs & derivatives
- Naltrexone/pharmacology
- Narcotic Antagonists/pharmacology
- Nucleus Accumbens/drug effects
- Nucleus Accumbens/metabolism
- Peptides/pharmacology
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- Reaction Time/drug effects
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/drug effects
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/metabolism
- Reinforcement Schedule
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost Wiskerke
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dustin Schetters
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Inge E. van Es
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yvar van Mourik
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bjørnar R. O. den Hollander
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anton N. M. Schoffelmeer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tommy Pattij
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Jentsch JD, Woods JA, Groman SM, Seu E. Behavioral characteristics and neural mechanisms mediating performance in a rodent version of the Balloon Analog Risk Task. Neuropsychopharmacology 2010; 35:1797-806. [PMID: 20375994 PMCID: PMC3055471 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2010.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The tendency for some individuals to partake in high-risk behaviors (eg, substance abuse, gambling, risky sexual activities) is a matter of great public health concern, yet the characteristics and neural bases of this vulnerability are largely unknown. Recent work shows that this susceptibility can be partially predicted by laboratory measures of reward seeking under risk, including the Balloon Analog Risk Task. Rats were trained to respond on two levers: one of which (the 'add lever') increased the size of a potential food reward and a second (the 'cash-out lever') that led to delivery of accrued reward. Crucially, each add-lever response was also associated with a risk that the trial would fail and no reward would be delivered. The relative probabilities that each add-lever press would lead to an addition food pellet or to trial failure (risk) were orthogonally varied. Rats exhibited a pattern of responding characteristic of incentive motivation and risk aversion, with a subset of rats showing traits of high-risk taking and/or suboptimal responding. Neural inactivation studies suggest that the orbitofrontal cortex supports greater reward seeking in the presence or absence of risk, whereas the medial prefrontal cortex is required for optimization of patterns of responding. These findings provide new information about the neural circuitry of decision making under risk and reveal new insights into the biological determinants of risk-taking behaviors that may be useful in developing biomarkers of vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- James David Jentsch
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA.
| | - Jason A Woods
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Stephanie M Groman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emanuele Seu
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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30
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A possible link between sensation-seeking status and positive subjective effects of oxycodone in healthy volunteers. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2009; 95:113-20. [PMID: 20045020 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2009.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2009] [Revised: 12/08/2009] [Accepted: 12/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sensation-seeking is a personality trait that is linked to use and abuse of drugs. Laboratory studies have established that high sensation seekers, as measured by different instruments, are more likely to report abuse liability-related subjective effects from drugs such as nicotine, alcohol, and d-amphetamine than low sensation seekers. One class of drugs that has not been studied to date in this fashion is opioids. Accordingly, a retrospective analysis encompassing five studies that examined oxycodone effects, including its abuse liability-related effects, was conducted in subjects categorized as high or low sensation seekers. In addition, because there appear to be sex differences in how males and females respond to opioids, this factor was taken into account in the analysis. Seventy one subjects who scored on the lower end (15 and 19 low sensation-seeking males and females, respectively) or the higher end (23 and 14 high sensation-seeking males and females) of the Disinhibition subscale of the Sensation-Seeking Scale-Form V were studied for their responses to 0, 10, and 20mg of oral oxycodone. Ratings of "pleasant bodily sensations" were significantly higher after oxycodone administration than placebo only in male and female high sensation seekers. Ratings of "take again," "drug liking," "carefree," and "elated (very happy)" also tended to differentiate high from low sensation seekers although Group x Dose interactions were only marginally significant with the latter three ratings. Male and female low sensation seekers and female high sensation seekers reported dysphoric effects (e.g., ratings of nauseated) particularly after administration of the 20mg oxycodone dose. The results of this analysis provide suggestive evidence that high sensation seekers are more likely to experience greater positive subjective effects from oxycodone than low sensation seekers, but likelihood of experiencing negative effects is more complex (involving both sensation-seeking status and sex).
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