Appetitive-aversive counter conditioning in serotonin transporter knockout rats
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Issue Date
2015-07-28
Language
en
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Abstract
Cocaine
is
the
second
most
used
illicit
drug
and
an
effective
treatment
against
addiction
and
relapse
is
still
to
be
found.
The
conditioned
positive
reinforcement
that
environmental
stimuli
constitute
when
paired
to
cocaine
use
is
a
challenging
pitfall
for
the
extinction
of
drug-‐seeking
behavior.
Serotonin
has
an
important
role
in
the
development
of
substance
addiction,
is
both
involved
in
the
arousing
effects
of
cocaine
and
in
an
individual’s
propensity
to
develop
drug
addiction.
The
s
allele
carriers
of
the
5-‐HTTLPR
polymorphism
have
been
reported
to
have
a
higher
probability
of
developing
substance
abuse.
In
this
study
a
new
paradigm
is
set
up
in
order
to
explore
putative
new
research
line
towards
an
addiction
treatment,
which
specially
benefits
this
portion
of
the
human
population.
SERT-‐/-‐
rats
were
used
to
model
the
s
allele
carriers
and
long
access
cocaine-‐self
administration
was
used
for
modeling
cocaine
addiction.
Appetitive-‐aversive
counter
conditioning
is
a
cognitive
conditioning
process,
which
has
the
potential
to
be
developed
as
a
new
addiction
treatment
effective
against
relapse.
The
animals
developed
addiction
for
the
drug
and
were
relatively
influenced
by
counter
conditioning
of
the
conditioning
stimuli.
In
conclusion,
our
data
shows
the
flaws
and
strengths
of
this
paradigm,
its
possible
limitations
and
advantages.
In
addition
provides
a
new
insight
on
the
nature
of
drug
addiction
and
Pavlovian
conditioning.
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen