Cocaine and other stimulants temporarily disable the transporter protein that returns the neurotransmitter to the VTA neuron terminals, thereby leaving excess dopamine to act on the nucleus accumbens.

• 古柯碱及其他的兴奋剂，会让运送神经传递物回到VTA神经元末梢的转运子（transporter）蛋白质暂时失效，因而留下过量的多巴胺作用在依核。