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The incentive amplifying effects of nicotine: Roles in alcohol seeking and consumption

  • SUNY Buffalo

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Nicotine has a unique profile among drugs of abuse. To the noninitiated user, nicotine has powerful aversive effects and its relatively weak euphorigenic effects undergo rapid tolerance. Despite this, nicotine is commonly abused despite negative heath consequences, and nicotine users have enormous difficulty quitting. Further, nicotine is one of the most commonly co-abused substances, in that it is often taken in combination with other drugs. One explanation of this polydrug use is that nicotine has multiple appetitive and consummatory conditioning effects. For example, nicotine is a reinforcement enhancer in that it can potently increase the incentive value of other stimuli, including those surrounding drugs of abuse such as alcohol. In addition, nicotine also has a unique profile of neurobiological effects that alter regulation of alcohol intake and interoception. This review discusses the psychological and biological mechanisms surrounding nicotine's appetitive conditioning and consummatory effects, particularly its interactions with alcohol.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationBehavioral Pharmacology of Drug Abuse
Subtitle of host publicationCurrent Status
EditorsJun-Xu Li
PublisherAcademic Press Inc.
Pages171-218
Number of pages48
ISBN (Print)9780323915267
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2022

Publication series

NameAdvances in Pharmacology
Volume93
ISSN (Print)1054-3589
ISSN (Electronic)1557-8925

Keywords

  • Alcohol
  • Incentive salience
  • Insular cortex
  • Mesolimbic dopamine
  • Nicotine
  • Nucleus accumbens
  • Operant conditioning
  • Pavlovian conditioned approach
  • Reinforcement enhancement
  • Ventral tegmental area

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