Behavioral Tolerance (Contingent Tolerance) is Mediated in Part by Variations in Regional Cerebral Blood Flow

Author: Fowler S.C.

Source: Brain and Mind, Volume 1, Number 1, April 2000 , pp. 45-57(13)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Concepts and experimental results taken from behavioral pharmacology, functional brain imaging, brain physiology, and behavioral neuroscience, were used to develop the hypothesis that behavioral tolerance can, in part, be attributed to cellular tolerance. It is argued that task specific activation of circumscribed neuronal populations gives rise to corresponding increases in regional cerebral blood flow such that neurons related to task performance are exposed to higher effective doses of blood-borne drug than neuronal groups not highly activated by the behavioral task. Through this cerebral hemodynamic regulatory mechanism cellular tolerance phenomena can at least partially account for behavioral tolerance (i.e., tolerance conferred through drugged practice).

Keywords: behavioral tolerance; benzodiazepines; contingent tolerance; ethanol; regional cerebral blood flow

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Department of Human Development, Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A., e-mail::Fowler@falcon.cc.ukans.edu

Publication date: 2000-04-01