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Plasticity of reward neurocircuitry and the 'dark side' of drug addiction

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Drug seeking is associated with activation of reward neural circuitry. Here we argue that drug addiction also involves a 'dark side'—a decrease in the function of normal reward-related neurocircuitry and persistent recruitment of anti-reward systems. Understanding the neuroplasticity of the dark side of this circuitry is the key to understanding vulnerability to addiction.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M. Arends for his assistance with the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Molecular and Integrative Neurosciences Department, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, 92037, California, USA

    George F Koob

  2. the Laboratoire de Physiopathologie des Comportements, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unite 588, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, Bordeaux, France

    Michel Le Moal

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  1. George F Koob
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  2. Michel Le Moal
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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Koob, G., Le Moal, M. Plasticity of reward neurocircuitry and the 'dark side' of drug addiction. Nat Neurosci 8, 1442–1444 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1105-1442

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