The paper by Robinson and Berridge explores the "Incentive-Sensitization" theory of addiction, which posits that addictive drugs alter brain organization, particularly in systems involved in incentive motivation and reward. The key tenets of this theory are: 1. Potentially addictive drugs can produce long-lasting changes in brain organization. 2. These changes involve brain systems involved in incentive motivation and reward. 3. Critical neuroadaptations render these reward systems hypersensitive to drugs and drug-associated stimuli. 4. The sensitized systems mediate a subcomponent of reward known as incentive salience, not the pleasurable or euphoric effects of drugs. The authors argue that this incentive salience process, rather than the desire for pleasure or relief from withdrawal, drives compulsive drug-seeking and taking. They discuss evidence for psychomotor sensitization, where repeated exposure to drugs increases their activating effects, and how this can be modulated by environmental factors. They also highlight the distinction between "wanting" (incentive salience) and "liking" (subjective pleasure), suggesting that the neural systems mediating "wanting" are more susceptible to sensitization and play a crucial role in addiction. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for understanding and treating addiction.The paper by Robinson and Berridge explores the "Incentive-Sensitization" theory of addiction, which posits that addictive drugs alter brain organization, particularly in systems involved in incentive motivation and reward. The key tenets of this theory are: 1. Potentially addictive drugs can produce long-lasting changes in brain organization. 2. These changes involve brain systems involved in incentive motivation and reward. 3. Critical neuroadaptations render these reward systems hypersensitive to drugs and drug-associated stimuli. 4. The sensitized systems mediate a subcomponent of reward known as incentive salience, not the pleasurable or euphoric effects of drugs. The authors argue that this incentive salience process, rather than the desire for pleasure or relief from withdrawal, drives compulsive drug-seeking and taking. They discuss evidence for psychomotor sensitization, where repeated exposure to drugs increases their activating effects, and how this can be modulated by environmental factors. They also highlight the distinction between "wanting" (incentive salience) and "liking" (subjective pleasure), suggesting that the neural systems mediating "wanting" are more susceptible to sensitization and play a crucial role in addiction. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for understanding and treating addiction.