The role of synaptic plasticity in addiction

The activity-dependent modifications in neural circuits that underlie all forms of experience-dependent plasticity are thought to involve long-lasting changes in the strength of synaptic transmission at excitatory synapses. The most well characterized forms of such synaptic plasticity, termed long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), have been implicated in playing important roles in several forms of adaptive learning and memory. Here we review evidence that similar forms of synaptic plasticity in the mesolimbic dopamine system, specifically the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), are elicited by drugs of abuse. These long-lasting drug-induced adaptations in key neural circuits may play important roles in the development and maintenance of addiction.