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Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1568-0266
ISSN (Online): 1873-4294

Review Article

Role of Dopamine Signaling in Drug Addiction

Author(s): Wan Chen, Zhihuan Nong, Yaoxuan Li, Jianping Huang , Chunxia Chen* and Luying Huang*

Volume 17, Issue 21, 2017

Page: [2440 - 2455] Pages: 16

DOI: 10.2174/1568026617666170504100642

Price: $65

Abstract

Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease of the brain that includes drug-induced compulsive seeking behavior and consumption of drugs. Dopamine (DA) is considered to be critical in drug addiction due to reward mechanisms in the midbrain. In this article, we review the major animal models in addictive drug experiments in vivo and in vitro. We discuss the relevance of the structure and pharmacological function of DA receptors. To improve the understanding of the role of DA receptors in reward pathways, specific brain regions, including the Ventral tegmental area, Nucleus accumbens, Prefrontal cortex, and Habenula, are highlighted. These factors contribute to the development of novel therapeutic targets that act at DA receptors. In addiction, the development of neuroimaging method will increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying drug addiction.

Keywords: Dopamine, Addiction, Dopamine receptors, Brain regions, Perforental cortex, PA receptor.

Graphical Abstract

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