Stress-Induced Reinstatement of Drug Seeking: 20 Years of Progress

In human addicts, drug relapse and craving are often provoked by stress. Since 1995, this clinical scenario has been studied using a rat model of stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking. Here, we first discuss the generality of stress-induced reinstatement to different drugs of abuse, different stressors, and different behavioral procedures. We also discuss neuropharmacological mechanisms, and brain areas and circuits controlling stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking. We conclude by discussing results from translational human laboratory studies and clinical trials that were inspired by results from rat studies on stress-induced reinstatement. Our main conclusions are (1) The phenomenon of stress-induced reinstatement, first shown with an intermittent footshock stressor in rats trained to self-administer heroin, generalizes to other abused drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, nicotine, and alcohol, and is also observed in the conditioned place preference model in rats and mice. This phenomenon, however, is stressor specific and not all stressors induce reinstatement of drug seeking. (2) Neuropharmacological studies indicate the involvement of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), noradrenaline, dopamine, glutamate, kappa/dynorphin, and several other peptide and neurotransmitter systems in stress-induced reinstatement. Neuropharmacology and circuitry studies indicate the involvement of CRF and noradrenaline transmission in bed nucleus of stria terminalis and central amygdala, and dopamine, CRF, kappa/dynorphin, and glutamate transmission in other components of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system (ventral tegmental area, medial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens). (3) Translational human laboratory studies and a recent clinical trial study show the efficacy of alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists in decreasing stress-induced drug craving and stress-induced initial heroin lapse

Learning, Communication and Interaction via Wiki: An Australian Perspective

This chapter examines the opportunities and barriers of promoting students’ learning skills, including communication, cooperation, collaboration and connection using the Wiki tool under the blackboard platform. A Wiki tool was implemented in two postgraduate units in an Australian university to develop and improve students’ professional and personal skills, i.e. communication, leadership, time management, problem-solving and decision-making. A Wiki tool becomes essential in teaching and learning, to promote students’ skills, and control their own learning and access to knowledge, cutting-edge technology and news nationally and internationally. To implement this for students in developed and developing countries, universities and the higher education sector must recognize and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) which were signed by 189 United Nation member states in September 2000, the second goal of which is related to education. This chapter provides empirical evidence, gathered through mixed methods, from 88 students who have been exposed to Wiki as a teaching tool. Student’s feedback indicates that the use of Wiki in the higher education setting is valuable and gratifying as it enables students to develop and enhance several skills, including communication, collaboration, interpersonal, writing, reading, and search/research, problem-solving and decision-making, all of which are required for both their current studies and their futures in the real-world workplace. In addition, students show their satisfaction with the Wiki’s tool, as it develops specific skills for the current study and for the future workplace, i.e. cultural awareness and cutting edge