Opioid Abuse After Traumatic Brain Injury: Evaluation Using Rodet Models
Abstract
The goal of this project is to evaluate the effect of a moderate-level brain injury on risk for opioid abuse using preclinical models in rats. We have assessed the effect of brain injury on the rewarding effects of oxycodone in three rat self-administration procedures and found significant differences in the acquisition and maintenance of oxycodone intravenous self-administration behavior between brain-injured and control rats. Data suggest brain injured rats have a greater sensitivity to the rewarding effects of oxycodone and a greater tolerance for the use-limiting effects of oxycodone (eg. sedation, motor impairment, dysphoria). Additionally oxycodone had stronger rewarding effects following injury. Conversely, brain-injured subjects showed lower responding in a model of relapse to oxycodone self-administration. Testing of oxycodone for analgesic strength and development of tolerance has shown no difference between sham controls and brain injured subjects. Studies investigating the development of physical dependence are ongoing. While the analgesia studies demonstrate that moderate brain injury does not result in an altered pain state or diminished response to oxycodone analgesia, the self-administration studies suggest that brain-injured subjects could be at increased risk for developing opioid substance abuse disorders.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA619493
Entities
People
- Katherine L. Nicholson
Organizations
- Virginia Commonwealth University