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A review on the relationship between circadian rhythms and opioid addiction
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Fatemeh Rahmati-Dehkordi   , Behzad Garmabi , Saeed Semnanian , Hossein Azizi *  |
| Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran |
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Abstract: (1273 Views) |
Many organisms have rhythmic fluctuations in their physiological and behavioral functions, Known as circadian rhythms. Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus is the central pacemaker, which synchronized these rhythms to the environmental light/dark cycle. The main factor in the regulation of circadian rhythms is the family of genes called clock genes. In addition to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, these genes are expressed in many areas of the body as well as different areas of the brain. The clock genes are expressed in addiction-related areas including the ventral tegmental area, the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex. Thus, it seems that these areas are also under the control of the circadian rhythm. Opioid addiction is a chronic physical and mental illness that remains a great threat to communities around the world. Investigations have been shown that many factors involved in opioid addiction such as orexin, dopamine, and serotonin, are regulated by circadian rhythms. Accordingly, in this review article, we will describe briefly some factors associated with circadian rhythms and opioid addiction.
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| Keywords: Addiction, Opioids, Circadian rhythms |
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Full-Text [PDF 877 kb]
(468 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Review Article -by invitation |
Subject:
Neuroscience
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