Persistent Anhedonia After Intermittent Long-Access Nicotine Self-Administration in Rats.

ABSTRACT: Tobacco use disorder is a chronic condition characterized by compulsive nicotine use and withdrawal symptoms after smoking cessation. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Smoking cessation leads to anhedonia, which is an inability to experience pleasure from previously enjoyed activities and is caused by dysregulation of the brain's reward and stress systems. It is also a key withdrawal symptom that contributes to relapse to smoking after a period of abstinence. To better understand the development of anhedonia, we investigated its onset and time course in rats that self-administered nicotine. Rats were implanted with intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) electrodes to assess reward function and intravenous catheters for nicotine self-administration

SUBMITTER: Chellian R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11957150 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature