This table shows selected key brain regions affected by cue-induced cocaine craving in cocaine-addicted people (cocaine-use imagery compared with neutral imagery). The table follows below:
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Brain Region |
Putative Role in Behavior |
Activity Changes During Cocaine Craving |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
Men |
Women |
|
Right nucleus accumbens |
Processes anticipated and attained rewards— probably contributes to the expectation of pleasure during craving |
Increased activity |
Increased activity |
|
Amygdala |
Generates and regulates emotional responses; assesses the positive or negative value of experiences and forms associations between experiences and emotional consequences |
Increased activity |
Decreased activity |
|
Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex |
Monitors competing options, inhibits goal-inappropriate behavior, and plans movements related to obtaining rewards; activity influenced by past experiences— possibly provides cognitive control of drug-seeking behavior |
Increased activity |
Increased activity, greater than that of men |
|
Ventral anterior cingulate cortex |
Regulates emotional response to cocaine cues; activation may precede craving onset |
Increased activity |
Increased activity, less than that of men |
|
Frontal cortex |
Monitors relationship of drug cue to drug availability; provides inhibition or control over actions; activity influenced by past experiences—possibly counterregulates emotional input |
Increased activity |
Increased activity, greater than that of men |
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