NEURAL SUBSTRATE OF NICOTINE ADDICTION AS DEFINED BY FUNCTIONAL BRAINMAPS OF GENE-EXPRESSION

The distributed neural networks involved in the intravenous self-admin istration of nicotine and cocaine, and in a model of relapse of nicoti ne-taking after abstinence, were compared in Wistar rats. Post-mortem brain maps of c-fos-related antigens expression showed specific activa tion in prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate and nucleus accumbens fo r both drugs, but of the anterior cingulate cortex only during relapse , suggesting that a subset of the neural network involved in drug self -administration is activated during relapse. ((C)Elsevier, Paris).