Although approximately two weeks following the cessation of cocaine self-administration, LTD was impaired in all animals, the ability to generate LTD slowly recovered in “non-addicted” animals. In contrast, “addicted” animals expressed persistently impaired LTD (Kasanetz et al., 2010). If LTD in the NAc is indeed important for adaptive forms of behavioral plasticity, its long lasting impairment may contribute to the inflexible, compulsive behaviors that are a hallmark of addiction.
