Molecular alterations underlying opioid tolerance and compulsive alcohol consumption

Drug tolerance and dependence are pharmacological phenomena shared by the majority of drugs acting on the central nervous system (CNS). Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving these adaptations represent a central topic in neuroscience, relevant to both Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and chronic pain research. Emerging evidence points to neuroinflammatory processes as key modulators of these maladaptive changes, affecting reward circuits, drug-related behaviours and analgesic efficacy. Accordingly, this thesis examines two related outcomes of repeated drug exposure: compulsive alcohol drinking (Aim 1) and opioid analgesic tolerance (Aim 2), providing complementary insights into the neural and molecular pathways driving by drug-induced adaptations.