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Role of Opioid Receptors in the Reinstatement of Opioid-Seeking Behavior: An Overview

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Opioid Receptors

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1230))

Abstract

Opioid abuse in humans is characterized by discontinuous periods of drug use and abstinence. With time, the probability of falling into renewed drug consumption becomes particularly high and constitutes a considerable problem in the management of heroin addicts. The major problem in the treatment of opioid dependence still remains the occurrence of relapse, to which stressful life events, renewed use of heroin, and exposure to drug-associated environmental cues are all positively correlated. To study the neurobiology of relapse, many research groups currently use the reinstatement animal model, which greatly contributed to disentangle the mechanisms underlying relapse to drug-seeking in laboratory animals. The use of this model is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, and new versions have been recently developed to better appreciate the differential contribution of each opioid receptor subtype to the relapse phenomenon. In this chapter we review the state of the art of our knowledge on the specific role of the opioid receptors as unrevealed by the reinstatement animal model of opioid-seeking behavior.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNR National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Neuroscience-Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

    Liana Fattore

  2. Centre of Excellence Neurobiology of Dependence, Cagliari, Italy

    Liana Fattore, Paola Fadda & Walter Fratta

  3. Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, SS 554, km. 4,500, Monserrato, CA, 09042, Italy

    Paola Fadda, Silvia Antinori & Walter Fratta

  4. National Institute of Neuroscience (INN), University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

    Paola Fadda & Walter Fratta

Authors
  1. Liana Fattore
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  2. Paola Fadda
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  3. Silvia Antinori
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  4. Walter Fratta
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Walter Fratta .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Santi M. Spampinato

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Fattore, L., Fadda, P., Antinori, S., Fratta, W. (2015). Role of Opioid Receptors in the Reinstatement of Opioid-Seeking Behavior: An Overview. In: Spampinato, S. (eds) Opioid Receptors. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1230. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1708-2_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1708-2_24

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1707-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1708-2

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