Molecular Underpinnings of Relapse-like Behavior: Drug Context and Development

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Background

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are characterized by chronic relapses triggered by exposure to stress, cues such as drug-associated paraphernalia, or the environmental contexts in which drug was previously consumed.

Rodent models of operant self-administration have been essential in mapping the unique brain nuclei and circuits engaged in cue, context, or stress-elicited forms of relapse. Context-related models of self-administration use diffuse environmental stimuli (such as background auditory and visual stimuli, odor, and tactile flooring) that are not explicitly paired with drug administration. Contextual-induced relapse has been shown to engage the dorsal and ventral subregions of the hippocampus, basolateral amygdala, and the orbitofrontal, agranular, and prelimbic regions of the cortex.

It is well known that certain brain regions involved in context-induced relapse are still under development throughout adolescence- these include the prelimbic cortex, amygdala, hippocampus and the long-range projections between these regions. However, less is known about the brain regions and circuits that are influenced by early drug exposure during this developmental window and the potentially lasting impact on relapse.

Patterns of drug intake are different in adolescents compared to adults and the abstinence period has also been reported as longer in adolescents. In comparison to the extensive studies examining the incubation of craving in adult rats, there are few studies examining the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the incubation of craving during the adolescent window of development. Furthermore, there is a lack of knowledge on the brain regions and circuits that are involved in specific forms of stimuli-triggered relapse in adolescent rats.

This Research Topic aims to gather further insight into the molecular mechanisms orchestrating relapse-like behavior and on the brain regions involved during development with a particular focus on studies conducted at different time points through the adolescence period in different model organisms.

We welcome articles covering, but not limited to, the following:

1) contribution of contextual stimuli to relapse-like behavior,

2) the behavior profiles that may be impacted during self-administration (short or long access models), extinction (or exposure-based extinction), drug-seeking, and or incubation of seeking during the adult and adolescent time periods.

3) the unique molecular mechanisms contributing to relapse-like behavior as a function of age.

Keywords: SUDs, chronic relapse, adolescence, rodent models, context-related models, self-administration, contextual-induced relapse

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