The modulation of motivation by drug cues in addiction may occur even outside of conscious awareness. Indeed, in cocaine abusers, exposure to subliminal cocaine cues induced activation of striatal and limbic brain regions (73). Moreover, these activation patterns predicted the affective responses to stimuli that were subsequently presented to subjects in a way that was visible to them. Overall, these imaging findings corroborate the involvement of the orbitofrontal cortex, ACC, and striatum (including the NAc) in the enhanced motivational value of drug stimuli in addiction and provide evidence for the involvement of unconscious processes in shaping motivation for drugs.
