The immediate subjective effects of cocaine are central to its rewarding properties and addictive qualities; however, the mechanisms by which the drug causes these rapid effects were unclear. Wise and Kayatkin describe recent findings that show that cocaine-predictive cues can activate the dopaminergic reward system in less time than it takes for cocaine to reach and block dopamine transporters in the brain.
- Roy A. Wise
- Eugene A. Kiyatkin