This paper presents a biopsychological theory of drug addiction, the 'Incentive-Sensitization
Theory'. The theory addresses three fundamental questions. The first is: why do addicts …

The question of addiction concerns the process by which drug‐taking behavior, in certain
individuals, evolves into compulsive patterns of drug‐seeking and drug‐taking behavior that …

The question of addiction specifically concerns (1), the process by which drug‐taking
behavior, in certain individuals, evolves into compulsive patterns of drug‐seeking and drug …

Abstract In 1993, Robinson and Berridge published their first review that laid out the
incentive sensitization theory of addiction (Robinson and Berridge 1993 Brain Res Rev 18 …

Rewards are both “liked” and “wanted,” and those 2 words seem almost interchangeable.
However, the brain circuitry that mediates the psychological process of “wanting” a particular …

Opiate addiction is a chronically relapsing disorder that is characterized by compulsive drug
taking, an inability to limit intake, and bouts of intense drug craving that can be precipitated …

We present a brief overview of the incentive sensitization theory of addiction. This posits that
addiction is caused primarily by drug-induced sensitization in the brain mesocorticolimbic …

Studies of the brain mechanisms of addictive drug actions suggest a two-factor model of
addiction. First, all addictive substances are argued to have psychomotor stimulant …

Abstract Incentive Sensitization Theory (IST; eg, Robinson and Berridge, 1993. Brain Res.
Rev., 18, 291; Robinson and Berridge, 2003 Trends Neurosci., 26, 507) suggests that a …

The motivation to seek out and consume rewards has evolutionarily been driven by the urge
to fulfill physiological needs. However in a modern society dominated more by plenty than …