The effects of nicotine on brain regions involved in addiction mirror those of cocaine. A single 15-minute exposure to nicotine causes a long-term increase in the excitability of neurons involved in reward, according to a study published in The Journal of Neuroscience. The results suggest that nicotine and cocaine hijack similar mechanisms of memory on first contact to create long-lasting changes in a person’s brain.
Read more at University of Chicago Medical Center/newswise
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