Blunted endogenous opioid release following an oral dexamphetamine challenge in abstinent alcohol-dependent individuals.

ABSTRACT: Addiction has been proposed as a 'reward deficient' state, which is compensated for with substance use. There is growing evidence of dysregulation in the opioid system, which plays a key role in reward, underpinning addiction. Low levels of endogenous opioids are implicated in vulnerability for developing alcohol dependence (AD) and high mu-opioid receptor (MOR) availability in early abstinence is associated with greater craving. This high MOR availability is proposed to be the target of opioid antagonist medication to prevent relapse. However, changes in endogenous opioid tone in AD are poorly characterised and are important to understand as opioid antagonists do not help everyone with AD. We used [¹¹C]carfentanil, a selective MOR agonist positron emission tomography (PET) radi

SUBMITTER: Turton S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6169731 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature