Cited by 1,105Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchSubstance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Drug-evoked synaptic plasticity in addiction: from molecular changes to circuit remodeling

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Lüscher, Christian, Malenka, Robert C.·2011·Neuron

Abstract

Addictive drugs have in common that they target the mesocoticolimbic dopamine (DA) system. This system originates in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projects mainly to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Here we review the effects that such drugs leave on glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic transmission in these three brain areas. We refer to these changes as drug-evoked synaptic plasticity, which outlasts the presence of the drug in the brain and contributes to the reorganization of neural circuits. While in most cases these early changes are not sufficient to induce the disease, with repetitive drug exposure, they may add up and cause addictive behavior.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.01.017

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  • Key synaptic changes involve glutamate-modulated NMDA and AMPA receptors in glutamatergic projections from the prefrontal cortex and amygdala to the VTA and nucleus accumbens.

    “Key synaptic changes involve glutamate-modulated N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors in glutamatergic projections from the prefrontal cortex and amygdala to the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens (table 2, circuit 4).”

    From Neurobiology of addiction: a neurocircuitry analysis (2016) · cites this paper as [43]

    The Molecular mechanisms sections for the VTA and nucleus accumbens (page numbers unavailable) describe drug-evoked changes involving AMPA and NMDA receptors and identify excitatory inputs from the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. But the VTA section explicitly says it remains unknown which specific inputs undergo drug-evoked plasticity, so the claim is too specific in placing those receptor changes in the named projections. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Addictive drugs have profound effects on synaptic transmission that may influence LTP and LTD.

    “Addictive drugs also have profound effects on synaptic transmission that may influence LTP and LTD (Wolf 2003;Kauer and Malenka 2007;Lu ¨scher and Malenka 2011).”

    From NMDA receptor-dependent long-term potentiation and long-term depression (LTP/LTD). (2012) · cites this paper as Lüscher and Malenka 2011

  • A vast literature from animal studies documents functional changes in fronto-striatal circuits, as well as their limbic and midbrain inputs, associated with addictive behaviors.

    “Importantly however, a vast literature from animal studies also documents functional changes in fronto-striatal circuits, as well their limbic and midbrain inputs, associated with addictive behaviors [63][64][65][66][67][68].”
  • Prairie voles show strong OXTR expression in MLR regions, a conserved reward-processing network implicated in depression, addiction, and schizophrenia.

    “Prairie voles strongly express OXTR in regions of the MLR, a conserved neural network (75) involved in reward processing and implicated in numerous human psychiatric disorders including depression (76), addiction (77), and schizophrenia (78).”
  • Drug-induced phasic DA signaling can eventually trigger neuroadaptations in ancillary circuits related to habit formation and behavioral conditioning.

    “Indeed, drug-induced phasic DA signaling can eventually trigger neuroadaptations in ancillary circuits that are related to habit formation and behavioral conditioning.”

    From Food and Drug Reward: Overlapping Circuits in Human Obesity and Addiction (2011) · cites this paper as Luscher and Malenka 2011

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Authors
Lüscher, C., & Malenka, R. C.
Affiliations
  • University of Geneva (CH)
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
  • Lüscher, Christian
  • Malenka, Robert C.
Venue
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2011-02
Volume
69
Issue
4
Pages
650-663
ISSN
0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2036768211
Cited by
1,105
References
130
Citations by year
2026: 60 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 66 · 2023: 53 · 2022: 55 · 2021: 83 · 2020: 84 · 2019: 63 · 2018: 85 · 2017: 77 · 2016: 77 · 2015: 81 · 2014: 85 · 2013: 89 · 2012: 60
FWCI
7.87
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuron (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
National Institute on Drug Abuse (P01DA008227)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
Keywords
addiction, mesocorticolimbic dopamine system, ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, glutamatergic neurotransmission, GABAergic neurotransmission, neural circuit remodeling, addictive behavior
MeSH terms
Animals, Humans, Limbic System, Models, Anatomic, Nerve Net, Neural Pathways, Neuronal Plasticity, Synapses, Substance-Related Disorders

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