Amphetamine-Induced Changes in Dendritic Morphology in Rat Forebrain Correspond to Associative Drug Conditioning Rather than Nonassociative Drug Sensitization

Singer, Bryan F.; Tanabe, Lauren M.; Gorny, Grazyna; Jake-Matthews, Charmaine; Li, Yilin; Kolb, Bryan and Vezina, Paul (2009). Amphetamine-Induced Changes in Dendritic Morphology in Rat Forebrain Correspond to Associative Drug Conditioning Rather than Nonassociative Drug Sensitization. Biological Psychiatry, 65(10) pp. 835–840.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.12.020

Abstract

Background: Systemic exposure to amphetamine (AMPH) leads to a number of long-lasting neuroadaptations including changes in dendritic morphology in rat forebrain. It remains unknown whether these changes relate to associative drug conditioning or to nonassociative drug sensitization, two forms of plasticity produced by systemic exposure to AMPH.

Methods: We compared the behavioral, neuronal, and morphologic consequences of exposing rats to intraperitoneal (IP) AMPH to those of exposure to AMPH applied to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), infusions that sensitize AMPH-induced locomotion and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) DA overflow but do not produce drug conditioning.

Results: Both IP and VTA AMPH exposure sensitized locomotion and NAcc DA overflow, but only IP AMPH exposure produced conditioned locomotion. mportantly, whereas IP AMPH exposure increased spine density and dendritic length and branching in the NAcc, exposure to VTA AMPH produced the opposite effects. A similar differentiation of effects was observed in cortical areas.

Conclusions: Together these findings suggest that the morphological changes seen following IP AMPH exposure reflect associative drug conditioning rather than nonassociative drug sensitization. The decreases observed in the NAcc of VTA AMPH exposed rats may reflect the inability of these infusions to support conditioning.

Viewing alternatives

Metrics

Item Actions

Export

You can export this page using these formats Digital Object Identifier - DOI

About

• Item ORO ID
• 50837
• Item Type
• Journal Item
• ISSN
• 1873-2402
• Project Funding Details

• Funded Project Name	Project ID	Funding Body
  Not Set	T32 DA07255	National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• Keywords
• Conditioning; dendritic spines; dopamine release; locomotion; nucleus accumbens; sensitization
• Academic Unit or School
• Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Life, Health and Chemical Sciences
  Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
• Copyright Holders
• © 2009 Society of Biological Psychiatry
• Depositing User
• Bryan Singer