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Nicotinic receptors: Addiction's smoking gun?

Nicotinic receptors are a well known culprit in tobacco addiction. Studies on rats now show that these receptors also enhance the long-term effects of cocaine and amphetamines.

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Figure 1: Interconnecting brain pathways, receptors and synapses mediate neuroadaptive changes that accompany drug addiction.

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Kelley, A. Nicotinic receptors: Addiction's smoking gun?. Nat Med 8, 447–449 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0502-447

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