A rat’s brain, on and off methamphetamine

Drug addiction is a vicious cycle of reward and withdrawal. Chronic users often relapse because of the unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms they experience when they stop taking the drug. Now, researchers report in the Journal of Proteome Research metabolic changes in the brains of rats during methamphetamine self-administration and withdrawal that could help identify biomarkers and treatments for addiction. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that increases the activity of neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine, in the brain. Scientists lack a detailed understanding of the neurochemical changes that occur during methamphetamine use and withdrawal, which could help them develop new treatments or diagnostic tests for addiction. So, Chul-Ho Jeong, Sooyeun Lee and colleagues wanted to investigate metabolic alterations in the early withdrawal period following methamphetamine self-administration in rats.