Brain Reward Circuits in Morphine Addiction

Mol Cells. 2016 Sep;39(9):645-53. doi: 10.14348/molcells.2016.0137. Epub 2016 Aug 9.

Abstract

Morphine is the most potent analgesic for chronic pain, but its clinical use has been limited by the opiate's innate tendency to produce tolerance, severe withdrawal symptoms and rewarding properties with a high risk of relapse. To understand the addictive properties of morphine, past studies have focused on relevant molecular and cellular changes in the brain, highlighting the functional roles of reward-related brain regions. Given the accumulated findings, a recent, emerging trend in morphine research is that of examining the dynamics of neuronal interactions in brain reward circuits under the influence of morphine action. In this review, we highlight recent findings on the roles of several reward circuits involved in morphine addiction based on pharmacological, molecular and physiological evidences.

Keywords: addiction; morphine; opiate; reward circuits; withdrawal symptom.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Morphine / adverse effects*
  • Morphine Dependence / physiopathology*
  • Neural Pathways / drug effects
  • Neural Pathways / physiopathology
  • Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / etiology
  • Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / physiopathology

Substances

  • Morphine