Medial Prefrontal Cortex Alterations Induced by Drugs of Abuse

EMILCE ARTUR DE LA VILLARMOIS; LAURA GABACH; MARIELA F. PÉREZ.

Horizons in Neuroscience Research

Nova Science Publishers

Año: 2015; p. 89 - 116

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a forebrain region that regulates cognitive function, such as working memory, decision making, and goal planning; and reward-motivated behaviors. It has been implicated in the neuropathological mechanisms of drug addiction and withdrawal, since this region has been proposed as a key component of the circuit that mediates the transition from regulated to compulsive drug use. In humans, mPFC is activated during drug withdrawal and also by cue-induced drug craving. Drugs of abuse, with different mechanism and effects in central nervous system, can induce profound and long-lasting changes in mPFC function, contributing to the behavioral sequelae and cognitive impairments that characterize the addicted state. Furthermore, since prefrontal cortex connectivity continues to develop until early adulthood, drug use impact differentially in mPFC activity and function depending on the life stage in which drug is administered. This review summarizes how different drugs can alter mPFC plasticity and wiring patterns finally affecting behaviors linked to infralimbic cortical function.