? Stress is believed to play a critical role in the vulnerability and relapse to addiction. Behavioral sensitization to psychostimulant drugs is an enduring form of neural plasticity in limbic brain regions clearly implicated in addiction, and is defined as an increase in drug effect with repeated drug or stress exposure. Previous studies suggest that an intact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is important for the development of drug- and stress-induced sensitization, but little is known about the molecular and anatomical targets at which adrenal stress hormones act to mediate this process. The medial prefrontal cortex contains high levels of glucocorticoid receptors and lesions of this area disrupt drug-induced sensitization, suggesting a role for glucocorticoid receptors of this region in behavioral sensitization. In this application, I hypothesize that activation of glucocorticoid receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex contributes to the development of behavioral sensitization. The goals of this proposal are to: 1) elucidate the role of medial prefrontal cortex glucocorticoid receptors in drug- and stress-induced sensitization through antagonist studies and 2) determine if glucocorticoid receptor activation in the medial prefrontal cortex will facilitate the development of sensitization to psychostimulant drugs. ? ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
5F32DA016466-02
Application #
6751684
Study Section
Human Development Research Subcommittee (NIDA)
Program Officer
Babecki, Beth
Project Start
2003-06-01
Project End
2006-05-31
Budget Start
2004-06-01
Budget End
2005-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$47,296
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Cincinnati
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
041064767
City
Cincinnati
State
OH
Country
United States
Zip Code
45221
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