"Cocaine's Impact on Basic Needs and the Brain's Reward System"

Scientists have detailed how addictive drugs like cocaine can hijack the brain's reward system, causing individuals to prioritize drug use over basic needs like food and water. Research on mice has identified a specific neural pathway in the brain's nucleus accumbens that is activated by drugs of abuse, leading to a progressive alteration of the natural reward system and a reduced motivation for essential needs. The study also identified a gene, Rheb, that plays a significant role in allowing drugs to hijack the reward system, and disrupting this gene in lab mice prevented the drugs from overriding their need for food and water. While the findings are based on mice and further research is needed to confirm their applicability to humans, the research provides insights that could lead to better treatments for addiction by targeting specific neural pathways without affecting natural behavior.