The pervasive and devastating nature of substance use disorders underlies the need for the
continued development of novel pharmacotherapies. We now know that glia play a much …

Introduction: Commonly abused drugs including opioids, stimulants and alcohol activate glia
cells, an effect that has been identified across species. Glia, specifically astrocytes and …

Background The plenary session at the 2016 Behavior, Biology and Chemistry:
Translational Research in Addiction Conference focused on glia as potential players in the …

Neuronal dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex, limbic structures, nucleus accumbens and
ventral tegmental area is considered to underlie the general physiopathological …

Addiction is a devastating disorder that produces persistent maladaptive changes to the
central nervous system, including glial cells. Although there is an extensive body of literature …

Glia (including astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes), which constitute the majority of
cells in the brain, have many of the same receptors as neurons, secrete neurotransmitters …

Highlights•Glial are important regulators of the synaptic changes driven by drugs of
abuse.•Both astrocytes and microglia are activated by a range of drugs of abuse.•Microglia …

Drug addiction is manifested by a compulsive drive to take licit or illicit substances despite
repeated severe adverse consequences (Volkow et al., 2012). Addiction is also …

Within the central nervous system, glial cells play significant roles in guiding neural
development, synaptogenesis, homeostatic regulation of neuronal function, and …

Drugs of abuse cause persistent alterations in synaptic plasticity that may underlie addiction
behaviors. Evidence suggests glial cells have an essential and underappreciated role in the …