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  • Cues conditioned to withdrawal and negative reinforcement: Neglected but key motivational elements driving opioid addiction
Title: Cues conditioned to withdrawal and negative reinforcement: Neglected but key motivational elements driving opioid addiction
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a debilitating disorder that affects millions of people. Neutral cues can acquire motivational properties when paired with the positive emotional effects of drug intoxication to stimulate relapse. However, much less research has been devoted to cues that become conditioned to the aversive effects of opioid withdrawal. We argue that environmental stimuli promote motivation for opioids when cues are paired with withdrawal (conditioned withdrawal) and generate opioid consumption to terminate conditioned withdrawal (conditioned negative reinforcement). We review evidence that cues associated with pain drive opioid consumption, as patients with chronic pain may misuse opioids to escape physical and emotional pain. We highlight sex differences in withdrawal-induced stress reactivity and withdrawal cue processing and discuss neurocircuitry that may underlie withdrawal cue processing in dependent individuals. These studies highlight the importance of studying cues associated with withdrawal in dependent individuals and point to areas for exploration in OUD research.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1922598
PAR ID:
10293696
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Science Advances
Volume:
7
Issue:
15
ISSN:
2375-2548
Page Range / eLocation ID:
eabf0364
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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