Abstract
In a rat model of context-induced relapse to heroin, we identified sparsely distributed ventral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neurons that were activated by the heroin-associated context. Selective pharmacogenetic inactivation of these neurons inhibited context-induced drug relapse. A small subset of ventral mPFC neurons formed neuronal ensembles that encode the learned associations between heroin reward and heroin-associated contexts; re-activation of these neuronal ensembles by drug-associated contexts during abstinence provoked drug relapse.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
MeSH terms
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Analgesics, Opioid / toxicity
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Animals
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Disease Models, Animal
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Heroin / toxicity*
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Heroin Dependence / metabolism
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Heroin Dependence / pathology*
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Nerve Net / drug effects*
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Nerve Net / pathology
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Neurons / drug effects*
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Neurons / pathology
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Prefrontal Cortex / drug effects*
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Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism
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Prefrontal Cortex / pathology*
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Rats
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Secondary Prevention
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Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / metabolism
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Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / pathology*
Substances
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Analgesics, Opioid
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Heroin