Chronic opioid intake leads to several brain changes involved in the development of
dependence, whereby an early hedonistic effect (liking) extends to the need to self …

Chronic exposure to opioids induces adaptations in brain function that lead to the formation
of the behavioral and physiological symptoms of drug dependence and addiction. Animal …

An animal model of voluntary oral morphine consumption would allow for a pre-clinical
evaluation of new treatments aimed at reducing opioid intake in humans. However, the main …

It has been estimated that more than 80% of alcoholics are also nicotine dependent and
that, vice versa, the rate of alcoholism is substantially increased by a factor of 4–10 in the …

The discovery of endogenous opioids has markedly influenced the research on the biology
of drug dependence. Evidence has been presented that these brain substances are self …

The number of people diagnosed with opioid use disorder has skyrocketed as a
consequence of the opioid epidemic and the increased prescribing of opioid drugs for …

Drug addiction is a chronic brain disorder leading to complex adaptive changes within the
brain reward circuits that involve several neurotransmitters. One of the neurochemical …

Use of prescription opioids, particularly oxycodone, is an initiating factor driving the current
opioid epidemic. There are several challenges with modelling oxycodone abuse. First …

Highlights•Alterations in endogenous opioid system components occur in development of
addiction.•Human studies and animal models show opioid genes contribute to addiction …

The endogenous opioid system is now known to play a major role in many aspects of normal
physiology and neurobiology, as well as a central role in many of the addictive disease …