The role of dopamine in drug abuse viewed from the perspective of its role in motivation.pdf

ELSEVIER Drug and Alcohol Dependence38(1995)95-137 The role of dopamine in drug abuse viewed from the perspective of its role in motivation Gaetano Di Chiara Department of Toxicology and C.N. R. Center for Neuropharmacology. University of Cagliari, Viale A. Diaz. 182. 09126 Cagliari, Italy Received14September1994;revisionreceived16February1995;accepted16 February 1995 Abstract Drugs of abusesharewith conventional reinforcers the activation of specific neural pathways in the CNS that are the substrate of their motivational properties. Dopamine is recognized asthe transmitter of one such neural pathway, being involved in at least three major aspectsof motivation: modulation of motivational state, acquisition (incentive learning) and expression of incentive properties by motivational stimuli. Drugs of abuseof different pharmacological classesstimulate in the low dose range dopamine transmission particularly in the ventral striatum. Apart from psychostimulants, the evidencethat stimulation of dopamine transmis- sion by drugs of abuseprovides the primary motivational stimulus for drug self-administration is either unconvincing or negative. However, stimulation of dopamine transmission is essential for the activational properties of drugs of abuse and might be in- strumental for the acquisition of responding to drug-related incentive stimuli (incentive learning). Dopamine is involved in the in- duction and in the expression of behavioural sensitization by repeatedexposure to various drugs of abuse. Sensitization to the dopamine-stimulant properties of specific drug