The Impact of Morphine Withdrawal on Brain Activity

One of the primary health issues that place significant economic and social strains on society around the world is drug misuse, which increases mortality, disability, and the need for medical services. This chapter highlights the activities of GABA-catabolizing enzymes (succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), SSA-dehydrogenase (SSA-DH), and GABA-transaminase (GABA-T) changed in the cerebellum and thalamus of rats after morphine withdrawal (MW). Only the thalamus experienced consistent alterations in enzyme activity after a 24-hour morphine abstinence. The activation of SDH and GABA-shunt was determined in both brain areas investigated after 3 and 7 days of morphine withdrawal. A possible explanation for the observed changes is that persistent morphine intoxication recalls counteradaptation events in GABAergic neurons.