Synaptic mechanisms underlying persistent cocaine craving

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

290 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although it is challenging for individuals with cocaine addiction to achieve abstinence, the greatest difficulty is avoiding relapse to drug taking, which is often triggered by cues associated with prior cocaine use. This vulnerability to relapse persists for long periods (months to years) after abstinence is achieved. Here, I discuss rodent studies of cue-induced cocaine craving during abstinence, with a focus on neuronal plasticity in the reward circuitry that maintains high levels of craving. Such work has the potential to identify new therapeutic targets and to further our understanding of experience-dependent plasticity in the adult brain under normal circumstances and in the context of addiction.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)351-365
Number of pages15
JournalNature Reviews Neuroscience
Volume17
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2016
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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