Background There is increasing evidence that the pathological overeating underlying some
forms of obesity is compulsive in nature and therefore contains elements of an addictive
disorder. However, direct physiological evidence linking obesity to synaptic plasticity akin to
that occurring in addiction is lacking. We sought to establish whether the propensity to diet-
induced obesity (DIO) is associated with addictive-like behavior, as well as synaptic
impairments in the nucleus accumbens core considered hallmarks of addiction. Methods …