Rationale Tobacco smoke contains nicotine and many other compounds that act in concert
on the brain reward system. Therefore, animal models are needed that allow the …

Background Chronic nicotine exposure produces neuroadaptations in brain reward systems
and α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the corticolimbic brain areas. We …

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonists have been shown previously to
decrease nicotine self-administration and precipitate elevations in brain reward thresholds …

To assess which nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are involved in the aversive
aspects of nicotine withdrawal, brain reward function and the somatic signs of nicotine …

Heavy smokers display increased radioligand binding of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
(nAChRs). This “upregulation” is thought to be a contributing factor to tobacco dependence …

Tobacco dependence is an addiction with high rates of relapse, resulting in multiple quit
attempts in individuals who are trying to stop smoking. How these multiple cycles of smoking …

Tobacco addiction is a complex form of dependence process that leads high relapse rates in
people seeking to stop smoking. Nicotine elicits its primary effects on neuronal nicotinic …

Background Understanding the underlying causes of nicotine addiction will require a
multidisciplinary approach examining the key molecular, cellular and neuronal circuit …

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) regulate the rewarding actions of
nicotine contained in tobacco that establish and maintain the smoking habit. nAChRs also …

The aversive aspects of nicotine withdrawal are powerful motivational forces contributing to
the tobacco smoking habit. We evaluated measures of affective and somatic aspects of …