Emotional valence and context of social influences on drug abuse-related behavior in animal models of social stress and prosocial interaction

Abstract

Rationale Social factors are important determinants of drug dependence and relapse. Objectives We reviewed preclinical literature examining the role of social experiences from early life through the development of drug dependence and relapse, emphasizing two aspects of these experiences: 1) whether the social interaction is appetitive or aversive and 2) whether the social interaction occurs within or outside of the drug-taking context. Methods The models reviewed include neonatal care, isolation, social defeat, chronic subordination, and prosocial interactions. We review results from these models in regard to effects on self-administration and conditioned place preference established with alcohol, psychostimulants, and opiates. Results We suggest that in general, when the interactions occur outside of the drug-taking context, prosocial interactions are protective against drug abuse-related behaviors whereas social stressors facilitate these behaviors. By contrast, positive or negative social interactions occurring within the drug-taking context may interact with other risk factors to enhance or inhibit these behaviors. Conclusions Despite differences in the nature and complexity of human social behavior compared to other species, the evolving animal literature provides useful models for understanding social influences on drug abuse-related behavior that will allow for research on the behavioral and biological mechanisms involved. The models have contributed to understanding social influences on initiation and maintenance of drug use, but more research is needed to understand social influences on drug relapse.

Intracranial Self-Stimulation to Evaluate Abuse Potential of Drugs

“…Other research has shown that repeated stress can enhance amphetamine-induced facilitation of ICSS (Lin et al, 2002), whereas effects of cocaine and THC were not altered by olfactory bulbectomy or repeated stress, respectively (Slattery et al, 2007;Fokos and Panagis, 2010). Together, these results illustrate the potential for differential effects of stress as a modulator of abuserelated drug effects in ICSS procedures, but given the prominent role of stress as a risk factor in drug abuse (Neisewander et al, 2012;Volkow et al, 2012), this is a relatively undeveloped theme of research.…”

Nucleus accumbens NMDA receptor activation regulates amphetamine cross-sensitization and deltaFosB expression following sexual experience in male rats

“…For example, pair bonding and environmental enrichment can serve as a protective component to drug-seeking behavior (Aragona et al, 2007;Solinas et al, 2008;Gipson et al, 2011;Liu et al, 2011;Burkett and Young, 2012;Puhl et al, 2012). Conversely, social isolation or the removal of environmental enrichment can cause an increased vulnerability to drug seeking (Lu et al, 2003;Raz and Berger, 2010;Nader et al, 2012;Neisewander et al, 2012).…”

Animal models of social contact and drug self-administration

“…These reviews have examined the neurobiological mechanisms at the nexus of social contact and drug self-administration (Bardo et al, 2013), the behavioral mechanisms mediating the effects of social contact on drug self-administration (Strickland and Smith, 2014), the intersection of emotional valance and social context in drug self-administration (Neisewander et al, 2012), and the effects of social contact on conditioned drug reward (Zernig et al, 2013). The primary objective of this mini-review is to provide an evaluation of several preclinical models of proximal social contact and their application to the study of drug self-administration (see Figure 1 for schematic overview of the described models).…”