This is to me one of the most important paper of the decade in the addiction field. It kicks to the curb both the incentive sensitization theory and the aberrant-learning theory of addiction and is in accordance with the opponent process theory. Good thing our lab is focused on the last one.

A beautiful paper by a great scientist, Ingo Willuhn. A must read.

Excessive cocaine use results from decreased phasic dopamine signaling in the striatum.

Ingo Willuhn, Lauren M Burgeno, Peter A Groblewski & Paul E M Phillips.

Nature Neuroscience 17, 704-709 (2014)

#addiction #accumbens #animalmodel #dopamine #compulsivity #escalation #motivation