Drugs of abuse cause changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and associated regions that impair inhibitory control over drug-seeking. Breaking the contingencies between drug-associated cues and the delivery of the reward during extinction learning reduces rates of relapse. Here we used vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) to induce targeted synaptic…

For many years, it has been suggested that drugs that interfere with dopamine (DA) transmission alter the "rewarding" impact of primary reinforcers such as food. Research and theory related to the functions of mesolimbic DA are undergoing a substantial conceptual restructuring, with the traditional emphasis on hedonia and primary reward yielding…

Assessed the relative influences of sensation-seeking or tension-reduction motives on drinking behavior. Data indicated a strong positive relationship between sensation seeking and alcohol use, whereas the relationship between anxiety and alcohol use was nonsignificant. The importance of sensation-seeking motives to a comprehensive motivational…

This article delineates man's search for sexual pleasure through the aid of drugs and other substances. While myths prevail that drugs create the sexual libertine spirit, scientific evidence indicates that no known drug serves as an aphrodisiac. (Author)

A cognitive model of drug urges and drug use is proposed, hypothesizing that drug use in the addict is controlled by automatized-action schemata. Urges are conceptualized as responses supported by nonautomatic cognitive processes activated with drug-use action schemata. Implications for behavior assessment are discussed. (SLD)