Withdrawal From Psychostimulants Restructures Functional Architecture of Brain
Summary: Withdrawal from psychostimulants including methamphetamines, cocaine, and nicotine, produced restructuring of brain regions and major increases in functional connectivity, a new mouse study reveals. Source: UCSD Addictive psychostimulants, from nicotine in cigarettes to illicit drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine, affect different regions of the brain. The same is believed true during withdrawal; finding a common brain pathway has proved el usive. In a new paper, publishing September 27, 2021 in the journal eNeuro , a multi-institution team of researchers describe how withdrawal from nicotine, methamphetamine and cocaine altered the functional architecture and patterns in the brains of mice, compared to control animals. They found that each drug produced a unique pattern of activity in the brain, but that mouse brains in withdrawal shared similar features. Perhaps more notably, the researchers said all psychostimulants shared ...