Cocain Abuse Case Study

People who have an exntensive history with cocain use, often reprort that the pleausre that they receive by utlzing the drug gradually eceasees, even though their addictive behavior towards the drug, gradually intensifies. A recent study that documented the effects that cocaine had on the nuerons in the ward system of mice, sheds some light as to why this may be the case for that of cocaiine users and other illicit drug abusers as well.

The study dmeonstarted that their was a concain induced imblance, in the aitiy of the the mice's brain thats associated with the reward system. The resuarchers argue that this demonstartes that as far as humans goes, this could expplain the reasons why long time cocain users amy expereince a weaker high, yet …show more content…
The other population of medium spiny nuerons interatcs with dopamine through a different receptor by the name of D2R. Whnever this recepotr was activated after the mice was injected with cocaine it caused an attentuation or reduction in euphoria.

WHat's so interesting about thiis activty is that duing the expereince they found that D1R activation iinctease and D2r activation decreased immeediately after the mice were injected with cocaine, both in the mice that was exposed to the drug for the first tme and in the mice that was epxosed tot he drug on a daiily basis for two weeks. However, in both grops, the raiton of D1R activation and D2R activation, shiftend in favor of the reard and motviation promtoing effects of D1R. MEaning that, even though both groups of mice expereinced the counter effects of D1R when it was activated, whiich causes a reduction of euhporia and drug seeking tendancies, there was a higher level of activation within the D2R receptors. The researchers argue that this demonstrates why people continue to seek drugs, despite the fact that the effects they expereince tend gradually diminsehes after prolonged