Cueinduced

Cue-induced craving is a term used in psychology and addiction research to describe the craving and associated physiological responses that are elicited when an individual is exposed to cues previously paired with drug use. These conditioned cues can include sights, smells, places, people, or paraphernalia associated with past substance use. The phenomenon is rooted in Pavlovian conditioning: neutral stimuli become conditioned stimuli that predict drug availability, triggering craving and, in some cases, relapse.

Neurobiologically, cue-induced craving involves the brain’s mesolimbic dopamine system, including pathways from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens, as well as regions such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Exposure to drug-related cues can produce neural activation and autonomic arousal, contributing to subjective craving and motivational drive to seek and use the substance. Cue-reactivity has been observed across a range of drugs, including alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, opioids, and cannabis, and can vary with individual factors such as severity of dependence, abstinence duration, and stress levels.

Assessment of cue-induced craving typically uses cue-reactivity paradigms that present drug-related cues and measure subjective craving, physiological responses (e.g., heart rate, skin conductance), and sometimes neural activity via imaging. Clinically, cue-induced craving is a key target in relapse prevention. Interventions such as cue exposure therapy aim to extinguish conditioned responses to cues, often in combination with cognitive-behavioral strategies and pharmacotherapies that reduce cue reactivity. Despite evidence of benefits, results are mixed and efficacy can depend on treatment context and individual differences.