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The impact of orbitofrontal dysfunction on cocaine addiction

Nature Neuroscience volume 15, pages 358–366 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

Cocaine addiction is characterized by poor judgment and maladaptive decision-making. Here we review evidence implicating the orbitofrontal cortex in such behavior. This evidence suggests that cocaine-induced changes in orbitofrontal cortex disrupt the representation of states and transition functions that form the basis of flexible and adaptive 'model-based' behavioral control. By impairing this function, cocaine exposure leads to an overemphasis on less flexible, maladaptive 'model-free' control systems. We propose that such an effect accounts for the complex pattern of maladaptive behaviors associated with cocaine addiction.

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Figure 1: The role of orbitofrontal cortex in changing conditioned responding as a result of reinforcer devaluation.
Figure 2: The role of orbitofrontal cortex in reversal learning.
Figure 3: Effect of cocaine on reversal learning.
Figure 4: Effect of cocaine on changes in conditioned responding as a result of reinforcer devaluation in rats.

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Acknowledgements

This review is dedicated to the family of Jacob Peter Waletzky. The work of writing it was supported by funding from the intramural and extramural programs of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, including time while G.S. and T.A.S. were employed at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of the US National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government.

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  1. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Federica Lucantonio & Geoffrey Schoenbaum

  2. National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Thomas A Stalnaker, Yavin Shaham & Geoffrey Schoenbaum

  3. Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

    Yael Niv

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Lucantonio, F., Stalnaker, T., Shaham, Y. et al. The impact of orbitofrontal dysfunction on cocaine addiction. Nat Neurosci 15, 358–366 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3014

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