Emerging roles for glial pathology in addiction

摘要: Addiction to drugs of abuse is a debilitating chronic disease, for which long-term treatment success rates are low. Because the human and financial cost addiction, considerable effort dedicated toward understanding processes that initiate sustain substance disorders. Among these processes, growing evidence indicates an integral contribution glial cells, including astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia. For example, decreased white matter content integrity in prefrontal cortex correlated with impaired cognitive control, cardinal feature addiction pathology. In addition, astroglial plasma membrane glutamate transport nucleus accumbens critical mediator seeking multiple classes abuse. The following chapter introduces neurocircuitry, goes on describe drug-dependent changes cells have been identified within this circuitry. Special emphasis given drug-induced impairments physiological relationships between neurons glia. Lastly, therapeutic potential glial-specific targets discussed.