Cocaine-induced LTP in the ventral tegmental area: new insights into mechanism and time course illuminate the cellular substrates of addiction.

Previous work has shown that a single dose of cocaine can produce long-term potentiation (LTP) of the glutamatergic synapses received by dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This and other plastic changes in the brain's reward circuitry have been suggested to underlie addiction. A recent study has provided new insights into cocaine-induced LTP, showing that it begins 3-5 h after exposure, requires activation of a dopamine D(5)/NMDA receptor cascade, and can be evoked by cocaine application directly to the VTA.