One of the main hallmarks of an addiction process involves changes in the number of dopamine receptors and types on key nerve cells in the brain. To hear the message, dopamine attaches to receptors on cells. With addiction, some types of receptors decrease, while other types increase. We focus on dopamine receptors, as reduced dopamine signalling is related to tolerance and anhedonia.
This section contains both lay articles for the general public, and research articles. If you are not an expert in addiction, I suggest starting with the lay articles. These articles start with an “L”.
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