Our work shows that the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), dopaminergic molecules, and members of the fibroblast growth factor family are among the neurotransmitters and neuromodulators that play a role in both the initial susceptibility to addiction as well as the altered neural responses that follow chronic drug exposure.
Our data provide the first evidence that GR modulates initiation of alcohol abuse and reveal a polymorphism that might contribute to susceptibility to addiction.