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Bridget M. Kuehn

JAMA. 2005;294:2953-2955.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

It may not be easy at the top, but life at the bottom of the social hierarchy may make individuals more vulnerable to addiction, according to animal research that is helping to elucidate the role of environmental factors in addiction.

The environment may alter cocaine's reinforcing effects by dysregulation of the dopaminergic system. An imaging study of dominant and subordinate monkeys housed alone or together shows effects of environment on levels of dopamine D2 receptors (Morgan et al. Nat Neurosci. 2002;5:169-174). (Photo credit: Nature Publishing Group)

In fact, having a less stressful, more privileged environment may provide a degree of protection from addiction or relapse during recovery, according to a recent review of the role of environment in addiction (Nader and Czoty. Am J Psychiatry. 2005;162:1473-1482). Using advanced brain imaging techniques, scientists have shown that environmental factors have lasting effects on brain receptors known to be . . . [Full Text of this Article]

A MONKEY MODEL