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Leeman RF, Robinson CD, Waters AJ, Sofuoglu M. A critical review of the literature on attentional bias in cocaine use disorder and suggestions for future research. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2014; 22:469-83. [PMID: 25222545 PMCID: PMC4250397 DOI: 10.1037/a0037806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) continues to be an important public health problem, and novel approaches are needed to improve the effectiveness of treatments for CUD. Recently, there has been increased interest in the role of automatic cognition such as attentional bias (AB) in addictive behaviors, and AB has been proposed to be a cognitive marker for addictions. Automatic cognition may be particularly relevant to CUD, as there is evidence for particularly robust AB to cocaine cues and strong relationships to craving for cocaine and other illicit drugs. Further, the wide-ranging cognitive deficits (e.g., in response inhibition and working memory) evinced by many cocaine users enhance the potential importance of interventions targeting automatic cognition in this population. In the current article, we discuss relevant addiction theories, followed by a review of studies that examined AB in CUD. We then consider the neural substrates of AB, including human neuroimaging, neurobiological, and pharmacological studies. We conclude with a discussion of research gaps and future directions for AB in CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F. Leeman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine and VA VISN1 MIRECC, VA Connecticut Healthcare System
| | - Cendrine D. Robinson
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
| | - Andrew J. Waters
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
| | - Mehmet Sofuoglu
- Yale School of Medicine and VA VISN1 MIRECC, VA Connecticut Healthcare System
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Sofuoglu M, DeVito EE, Waters AJ, Carroll KM. Cognitive enhancement as a treatment for drug addictions. Neuropharmacology 2013; 64:452-63. [PMID: 22735770 PMCID: PMC3445733 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2012] [Revised: 06/12/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction continues to be an important public health problem, with an estimated 22.6 million current illicit drug users in the United States alone. For many addictions, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana addiction, there are no approved pharmacological treatments. Behavioral treatments are effective but effects vary widely across individuals. Treatments that are effective across multiple addictions are greatly needed, and accumulating evidence suggests that one such approach may be pharmacological or behavioral interventions that enhance executive inhibitory control in addicts. Current evidence indicates that most forms of chronic drug use may be associated with significant cognitive impairments, especially in attention, working memory, and response inhibition functions. In some studies, these impairments predict poor treatment retention and outcome. A number of cognitive enhancing agents, including galantamine, modafinil, atomoxetine, methylphenidate, and guanfacine, have shown promising findings in human studies. Specific behavioral interventions, including cognitive remediation, also show promise. However, whether improvement of selective cognitive functions reduces drug use behavior remains to be determined. Cognitive enhancement to improve treatment outcomes is a novel strategy worthy of future research, as are related questions such as whether these approaches may be broadly beneficial to most addicts or best reserved for substance users with specific demonstrated cognitive impairments. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Cognitive Enhancers'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Sofuoglu
- Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Ave., Bldg. 36/116A4, West Haven, CT 06516, USA.
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Melis M, Carta S, Fattore L, Tolu S, Yasar S, Goldberg SR, Fratta W, Maskos U, Pistis M. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-alpha modulate dopamine cell activity through nicotinic receptors. Biol Psychiatry 2010; 68:256-64. [PMID: 20570248 PMCID: PMC2907468 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2010] [Revised: 04/14/2010] [Accepted: 04/14/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modulation of midbrain dopamine neurons by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) plays an important role in behavior, cognition, motivation, and reward. Specifically, nAChRs containing beta2 subunits (beta2-nAChRs) switch dopamine cells from a resting to an excited state. However, how beta2-nAChRs can be modulated and thereby how dopamine firing activity is affected remains elusive. Because changes in dopamine cell activity are reflected in the dynamics of microcircuits generating altered responses to stimuli and inputs, factors regulating their state are fundamental. Among these, endogenous ligands to the nuclear receptor-transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors type-alpha (PPARalpha) have been recently found to suppress nicotine-induced responses of dopamine neurons. METHODS We used both in vitro and in vivo electrophysiological techniques together with behavioral analysis to investigate on the effects of modulation of PPARalpha in Sprague-Dawley rat and C57BLJ/6 mouse dopamine neurons and their interactions with beta2-nAChRs. To this aim, we took advantage of a selective reexpression of beta2-nAChR exclusively in dopamine cells by stereotaxically injecting a lentiviral vector in the mouse ventral tegmental area. RESULTS We found that activation of PPARalpha decreases in vitro both dopamine cell activity and ventral tegmental area net output through negative modulation of beta2-nAChRs. Additionally, PPARalpha activation in vivo reduces both the number of spontaneously active dopamine neurons and nicotine-induced increased locomotion. CONCLUSIONS Our combined findings suggest PPARalpha ligands as important negative modulators of beta2-nAChRs on dopamine neurons. Thus, PPARalpha ligands might prove beneficial in treating disorders in which dopamine dysfunction plays a prominent role, such as schizophrenia and nicotine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Melis
- B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy.
| | - Stefano Carta
- B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Tolu
- Unité Neurobiologie intégrative des systèmes cholinergiques, CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Sevil Yasar
- Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Steven R. Goldberg
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Walter Fratta
- B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy,CNR, Neuroscience Institute, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Uwe Maskos
- Unité Neurobiologie intégrative des systèmes cholinergiques, CNRS URA 2182, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Marco Pistis
- B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
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Abstract
BACKGROUND No medications have been proven to be effective for cocaine and methamphetamine addiction. Attenuation of drug reward has been the main strategy for medications development, but this approach has not led to effective treatments. Thus, there is a need to identify novel treatment targets in addition to the brain reward system. AIM To propose a novel treatment strategy for stimulant addiction that will focus on medications enhancing cognitive function and attenuating drug reward. METHODS Pre-clinical and clinical literature on potential use of cognitive enhancers for stimulant addiction pharmacotherapy was reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Cocaine and methamphetamine users show significant cognitive impairments, especially in attention, working memory and response inhibition functions. The cognitive impairments seem to be predictive of poor treatment retention and outcome. Medications targeting acetylcholine and norepinephrine are particularly well suited for enhancing cognitive function in stimulant users. Many cholinergic and noradrenergic medications are on the market and have a good safety profile and low abuse potential. These include galantamine, donepezil and rivastigmine (cholinesterase inhibitors), varenicline (partial nicotine agonist), guanfacine (alpha(2)-adrenergic agonist) and atomoxetine (norepinephrine transporter inhibitor). Future clinical studies designed optimally to measure cognitive function as well as drug use behavior would be needed to test the efficacy of these cognitive enhancers for stimulant addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Sofuoglu
- Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA.
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Ward RD, Kellendonk C, Simpson EH, Lipatova O, Drew MR, Fairhurst S, Kandel ER, Balsam PD. Impaired timing precision produced by striatal D2 receptor overexpression is mediated by cognitive and motivational deficits. Behav Neurosci 2009; 123:720-30. [PMID: 19634929 DOI: 10.1037/a0016503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Increased striatal dopamine D2 receptor activity is thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. To model this condition in mice, Kellendonk et al. (2006) generated transgenic mice that selectively overexpress the D2 receptor in striatum (D2OE). Drew et al. (2007) reported that D2OE mice display deficits in interval timing and motivation. The present study further explored the impaired timing in D2OE mice. Experiment 1 assessed the role of motivation in producing timing deficits in the peak procedure and found that performance in D2OE mice was improved by increasing motivation. In addition, performance was impaired in control mice when motivation was decreased. In Experiment 2, we found that D2OE mice have no timing impairment when tested using the bisection task, a procedure in which the measure of timing performance is less influenced by motivation to respond. In Experiment 3, we also used the bisection task and found selective impairment in timing of long durations in D2OE mice. These results suggest that striatal D2 overexpression impairs timing by decreasing motivation and through its impact on working memory and/or sustained attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Ward
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, NY State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Abstract
Acetylcholine, the first neurotransmitter discovered, participates in many CNS functions, including sensory and motor processing, sleep, nociception, mood, stress response, attention, arousal, memory, motivation and reward. These diverse cholinergic effects are mediated by nicotinic- and muscarinic-type cholinergic receptors (nAChR and mAChR, respectively). The goal of this review is to synthesize a growing literature that supports the potential role of acetylcholine as a treatment target for stimulant addiction. Acetylcholine interacts with the dopaminergic reward system in the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex. In the ventral tegmental area, both nAChR and mAChR stimulate the dopaminergic system. In the nucleus accumbens, cholinergic interneurons integrate cortical and subcortical information related to reward. In the prefrontal cortex, the cholinergic system contributes to the cognitive aspects of addiction. Preclinical studies support a facilitative role of nicotinic receptor agonists in the development of stimulant addiction. In contrast, nonselective muscarinic receptor agonists seem to have an inhibitory role. In human studies, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which increase synaptic acetylcholine levels, have shown promise for the treatment of stimulant addiction. Further studies testing the efficacy of cholinergic medications for stimulant addiction are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Sofuoglu
- Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, USA.
| | - Marc Mooney
- Tobacco Use Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414
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The substantia innominata remains incognita: pressing research themes on basal forebrain neuroanatomy. Brain Struct Funct 2008; 213:11-5. [PMID: 18183419 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-007-0165-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2007] [Accepted: 12/11/2007] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The neuroanatomical research by Heimer and colleagues has focused on the structure of, and connectivity between, basal forebrain regions as well as on the translational significance of this research. By outlining several pressing research themes and questions concerning the neuroanatomy of the basal forebrain, as seen from a biopsychologist's perspective, the importance of continuing and expanding neuroanatomical research on the basal forebrain is illustrated.
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