Nicotine activates aversive dopamine network in brains of mice (IMAGE)

University of California - Berkeley

Nicotine activates aversive dopamine network in brains of mice

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Nicotine is addictive because it activates the brain’s dopamine network, which makes us feel good. UC Berkeley researchers now show in experiments on mice that nicotine in high doses also activates a recently discovered dopamine network that responds to unpleasant stimuli. This aversive dopamine network could be leveraged to create a therapy that boosts the negative effects and lessens the rewards of nicotine.

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Christine Liu, UC Berkeley

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