How serotonin curbs cocaine addiction

Contrary to common thinking, cocaine triggers an addiction only in 20% of the consumers. But what happens in their brains when they lose control of their consumption? Thanks to a recent experimental method, neuroscientists have revealed a brain mechanism specific to cocaine, which has the particularity of triggering a massive increase in serotonin in addition to the increase in dopamine common to all drugs. Indeed, serotonin acts as an intrinsic brake on the overexcitement of the reward system elicited by dopamine, the neurotransmitter that causes addiction.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2X8vfQz