Environment makes amphetamine-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens totally impulse-dependent

Abstract
Environmental condition such as food restriction has been shown to produce sensitization to the stimulant and rewarding effects of amphetamine in the low responsive DBA/2J genotype. Here, we report that food‐restricted DBA/2J mice lose the impulse‐independent component of psychostimulant‐induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens that is replaced totally by impulse‐dependent dopamine release. These results indicate for the first time that the crucial effect of environment‐induced sensitization is a dramatic increase of the impulse dependent component. Synapse 58:211–214, 2005.