Scientists have long known that cocaine causes alterations in the brain, which may account for its intensely addictive properties. These changes often force drug users to seek substance abuse treatment to learn how to deal with their cravings.

However, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine may have found the precise neurological pathway that is affected by cocaine use. They believe that the findings could open the door to improved medical treatments to end addiction.

The results of the study indicate that there are two sets of neurons in the brain - one positive and one negative - that keep pleasure responses in check. However, when cocaine is introduced to the brain, the positive neurons become much more active. The brain grows accustomed to this process and desires more of it, resulting in addiction.

"This new information provides fundamentally novel insight into how cocaine corrupts the brain's reward center," said Eric Nestler, who led the investigation. "We can use this information to potentially develop new therapies for cocaine addiction, possibly aimed at altering neuronal activity selectively in either neuronal subtype."