Search

Drugs of abuse are initially ingested for their euphorigenic properties. However, by means of classical conditioning, repeated drug-taking behavior results in significant association of these euphorigenic effects with environmental factors such as drug paraphernalia, the location of drug self-administration, and other olfactory, auditory, and visual stimuli. In turn, these drug-associated environmental factors or ˵cues″ themselves become motivational factors that contribute to continued drug use, and also become triggers for relapse. In this chapter, we will discuss various animal models for studying the neurobiological basis of conditioning in the context of drug addiction, followed by a summary of findings from the animal literature on the neural substrates of drug conditioning. In addition, we will review findings from human imaging studies that have revealed specific neural circuits that mediate the processing of information related to drug-associated cues. Finally, behavioral and pharmacological therapies that are designed to facilitate the extinction of drug conditioning and attenuate cue-evoked drug craving and relapse will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]