Chronic cocaine use changes gene expression in the hippocampus, according to research in mice recently published in JNeurosci. Chronic drug users learn to associate the drug-taking environment with the drug itself, reinforcing memories that contribute to addiction. These memories are thought to be created by changes in gene expression in the hippocampus and potentially involve the gene FosB, but the exact mechanism is unknown.
— source sfn.org | Sep 2, 2019