How cocaine rewires the brain to drive relapse
Medical Xpress
March 4, 2026
When a cocaine addict relapses, it isn't a matter of personal failure—it's the biological result of their brain's rewiring, new research finds. Michigan State University scientists have found that cocaine changes how the hippocampus functions, contributing to the ongoing compulsion to seek out the drug. Their research, published in Science Advances, not only explains why cocaine addiction is notoriously difficult to treat, but could also help scientists develop new pharmaceutical therapies.
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Originally published on Medical Xpress on 3/4/2026