Abuse of psychoactive substances can lead to drug addiction. In animals, addiction is best
modeled by drug self-administration paradigms. It has been proposed that the crucial …

Chronic exposure to drugs of abuse is linked to long-lasting alterations in the function of
limbic system structures, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Although cocaine acts via …

Although dopamine is implicated in the development of addiction, it is unclear how specific
dopamine release patterns are involved with drug seeking. Addictive drugs increase tonic …

While Pavlovian and operant conditioning influence drug-seeking behavior, the role of rapid
dopamine signaling in modulating these processes is unknown. During self-administration …

The transition from casual drug use to addiction, and the intense drug craving that
accompanies it, has been postulated to result from neuroadaptations within the limbic …

Repeated drug use can change dopamine (DA) function in ways that promote the
development and persistence of addiction, but in what direction? By one view, drug use …

Repeated cocaine exposure and withdrawal leads to long-term changes, including
behavioral and dopamine sensitization to an acute cocaine challenge, that are most …

Dopaminergic neurotransmission has been highly implicated in the reinforcing properties of
many substances of abuse, including marijuana. Cannabinoids activate ventral tegmental …

While most drugs of abuse increase dopamine neurotransmission, rapid neurochemical
measurements show that different drugs evoke distinct dopamine release patterns within the …

Cocaine acts as a reinforcer through its pharmacological effects on brain monoaminergic
systems, which, through repeated pairings with environmental stimuli, lead to the …