This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Picciotto, M. R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Picciotto, M. R. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Nicotine Addiction: From Molecules to Behavior

Drugs of abuse, Including nicotine, activate common pathways in the brain that lead to reinforcement and addiction. Each drug, however, has unique molecular targets. This article describes what is known about the neurobiological processes underlying the re inforcing actions of nicotine that ultimately lead to nicotine dependence. The pathway starts with binding of nicotine to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, its biochemical targets in the brain, which results in altered dopamine physiology and, ultimately, smoking be havior. Experiments using genetically altered mice have begun to identify the molecules involved in this pathway. This type of experiment will ultimately allow identification of the individual molecules in the brain that carry out the steps leading to nicotine addiction and may identify sites of intervention that could lead to novel treatments for nicotine addiction. NEUROSCIENTIST 4:391-394, 1998

Key Words: Nicotine • Addiction • Mouse

The Neuroscientist, Vol. 4, No. 6, 391-394 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/107385849800400610


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?