The nucleus accumbens is a major input structure of the basal ganglia and integrates
information from cortical and limbic structures to mediate goal-directed behaviors. Chronic
exposure to several classes of drugs of abuse disrupts plasticity in this region, allowing drug-
associated cues to engender a pathologic motivation for drug seeking. A number of
alterations in glutamatergic transmission occur within the nucleus accumbens after
withdrawal from chronic drug exposure. These drug-induced neuroadaptations serve as the …