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Addiction as Hijacked Synaptic Plasticity

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Addiction involves substances co-opting long-term potentiation, per Bio 2833, strengthening drug-associated synapses beyond what willpower governs.

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Synaptic strengthening from repeated drug exposure functions like an amplified version of ordinary reward learning.

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The strengthened synapses persist long after the drug has cleared the body, which is why craving outlasts withdrawal.