Your memories are likely stored in ensembles of neurons that fire together. PASIEKA/Science Photo Library via Getty Images Memories of the good parts of using drugs can keep people hooked − altering the neurons that store them could help treat addiction

A deeper understanding of how reward memories work and interact with each other is critical to informing the choices you make and to treating disorders where seeking rewards has become problematic. Eliminating all reward seeking would negatively affect behaviors essential for survival, such as eating and reproducing. But if you can specifically target reward memories linked to different drugs, this could help reduce their abuse.