Decreased brain dopamine cell numbers in human cocaine users

@article{Little2009DecreasedBD,
  title={Decreased brain dopamine cell numbers in human cocaine users},
  author={Karley Y. Little and Eric Ramssen and Ryan M. Welchko and Vitaly Volberg and Courtney J. Roland and B J Cassin},
  journal={Psychiatry Research},
  year={2009},
  volume={168},
  pages={173-180}
}
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90 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
4
Background Citations
37
Methods Citations
1
Results Citations
6

90 Citations

Cocaine Reduces the Neuronal Population While Upregulating Dopamine D2-Receptor-Expressing Neurons in Brain Reward Regions: Sex-Effects
TLDR
It is observed that cocaine exposed mice had a higher density of D2r-positive cells that was most prominent in mPFC and VTA and larger for females than for males, which could reflect a phenotypic shift in neurons that did not previously express Drd2 and merits further investigation.
Regional elevations in microglial activation and cerebral glucose utilization in frontal white matter tracts of rhesus monkeys following prolonged cocaine self-administration
TLDR
The present findings demonstrate an elevation in [3H]PK11195 binding in forebrain white matter tracts of nonhuman primates with a prolonged history of cocaine self-administration, and suggest that white matter deficits may contribute to behavioral, motivational, and cognitive impairments observed in cocaine abusers.
Cocaine Administration and Its Abstinence Conditions Modulate Neuroglia
TLDR
The presented results strongly suggest that cocaine abstinence evokes significant changes in gene expression associated with the proper functioning of glial cells, suggesting their significant involvement in adaptive changes in the brain associated with cocaine exposure.
Activin A is increased in the nucleus accumbens following a cocaine binge
TLDR
It is suggested that increased secretion of activin A, particularly from microglia, in the NAc represents a novel potential target for the treatment of cocaine relapse.
Cocaine-mediated activation of microglia and microglial MeCP2 and BDNF production
Sleep Disturbance Alters Cocaine-Induced Locomotor Activity: Involvement of Striatal Neuroimmune and Dopamine Signaling
TLDR
It is hypothesized that sleep fragmentation was capable of blunting cocaine-induced psychoactive effects through modulating neuroimmune and dopamine signaling in the brain reward circuitry, which might mediate the linkage between sleep disorders and drug addiction.
Region-Specific Reductions in Morphometric Properties and Synaptic Colocalization of Astrocytes Following Cocaine Self-Administration and Extinction
TLDR
An assessment of the effects of cocaine self-administration on morphometric properties and synaptic colocalization of astrocyte peripheral processes in the prelimbic region of the medial prefrontal cortex and basolateral nucleus of the amygdala, both known to also contribute significantly to motivated behaviors are extended.
Cellular and molecular responses to acute cocaine treatment in neuronal-like N2a cells: potential mechanism for its resistance in cell death
TLDR
The data clearly indicate that Neuro-2a (N2a) cells employed a detoxifying strategy against cocaine, and extrapolating the knowledge of neuronal resistance to central nervous system (CNS) diseases could delay their onset or progression.
Elevated Brain Iron in Cocaine Use Disorder as Indexed by Magnetic Field Correlation Imaging.
N-Acetyl Cysteine Mitigates the Acute Effects of Cocaine-Induced Toxicity in Astroglia-Like Cells
TLDR
All of the above identified features are significantly altered by cocaine, and may collectively represent the key pathology underlying acute toxicity-mediated death of astroglia-like cells and suggest that compounds which target and mitigate these early toxic changes in astrocytes could have a potentially broad therapeutic role in cocaine-induced CNS damage.
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References

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TLDR
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TLDR
Human cocaine users lose VMAT2 protein, which might reflect damage to striatal dopamine fibers, which could play a role in causing disordered mood and motivational processes in more severely dependent patients.
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TLDR
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