Posted by SLS on May 23, 2010, at 10:14:19
In reply to cocaine + addiction protein + depression, posted by linkadge on May 23, 2010, at 7:54:28
> I had read about 10 years ago how drugs like cocaine and (to a lesser extent) methylphenidate activated a protein called detaFosB in the neucleus accumbens. Supposedly this protein turned on in response to cocaine, and was hard to inactivate (thus creating addiction).
>
> In an interesting twist, the following article (below) suggests that deltaFosB is actually higher in the neucleus accumbens of mice that are resistant to stress. The animals that display anhedonia after stress have very low levls of deltaFosB in the NAC, wherease animals that are resistant display higher levels of the protein (in the NAC).
>
> This would almost suggest (contrary to previous studies) that activation of the protein by these (or other) drugs could actually be beneficial (?) See:
>
> http://biopsychiatry.com/antidepressants/deltafosb.html
>Is this what is behind the process of sensitization seen with cocaine?
I don't have the mental energy to read the whole article.
- ScottThe measure of achievement lies not in how high the mountain,
but in how hard the climb.The measure of success lies only in how high one feels he must
climb to get there.
poster:SLS
thread:948409
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100514/msgs/948423.html