Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Contributions of basic science to understanding addiction

  • Original Article
  • Published:
BioSocieties Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Discoveries in basic science have helped us understand the drug abuse/dependence/addiction brain disorder. One can view this brain disorder as a long-lasting, relapsing pattern of drug seeking and taking with adverse consequences. Drug self-administration studies in animals have revealed brain circuits and neurotransmitters that underlie drug-induced reward and reinforcement. Moreover, studies of effects of drugs on receptors have shown us how drugs can change gene expression and how drugs can change the biochemical makeup of the brain. Drug-induced changes in the brain are very long lasting, which presumably can explain why drug addiction is a chronic and relapsing disease. Also, drugs exert their actions at least partly through evolved brain circuits that serve functions critical for survival such as feeding and sex. Thus, drugs can harness our strongest instincts and the desire to use them can become very powerful. These findings should influence research, treatment and policy towards the disorder of drug addiction and abuse.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agrawal, A. and Lynskey, M.T. (2008) Are there genetic influences on addiction: Evidence from family, adoption and twin studies. Addiction 103: 1069–1081.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anthony, J.C., Warner, L. and Kessler, R.C. (1994) Comparative epidemiology of dependence on tobacco, alcohol, controlled substances, and inhalants: Basic findings from the National Comorbidity Survey. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology 2: 244–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barr, A.M. and Markou, A. (2005) Psychostimulant withdrawal as an inducing condition in animal models of depression. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 29: 675–706.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bechara, A. (2005) Decision making, impulse control and loss of willpower to resist drugs: A neurocognitive perspective. Nature Neuroscience 8: 1458–1463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belknap, J.K., Metten, P., Beckley, E.H. and Crabbe, J.C. (2008) Multivariate analyses reveal common and drug-specific genetic influences on responses to four drugs of abuse. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 29: 537–543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beveridge, T.J., Gill, K.E., Hanlon, C.A. and Porrino, L.J. (2008) Parallel studies of cocaine-related neural and cognitive impairment in humans and monkeys. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences 363: 3257–3266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bocher, M. et al (2001) Cerebral activation associated with sexual arousal in response to a pornographic clip: A 15O-H2O PET study in heterosexual men. Neuroimage 14: 105–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonci, A., Bernardi, G., Grillner, P. and Mercuri, N.B. (2003) The dopamine-containing neuron: Maestro or simple musician in the orchestra of addiction? Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 24: 172–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, F.I., Howard, J.L., Howell, L.L., Fox, B.S. and Kuhar, M.J. (2006) Development of the dopamine transporter selective RTI-336 as a pharmacotherapy for cocaine abuse. AAPS Journal 8: E196–E203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dew, B., Elifson, K. and Dozier, M. (2007) Social and environmental factors and their influence on drug use vulnerability and resiliency in rural populations. Journal of Rural Health 13 (Suppl): 16–21.

  • Dominguez, J.M. and Hull, E.M. (2005) Dopamine, the medial preoptic area, and male sexual behavior. Physiology & Behavior 86: 356–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham, A.W., Schultz, M.D.F., Mayo-Smith, M.F., Ries, R.K. and Wilford, B.B. (2003) Principles of Addiction Medicine, 3rd edn. Chevy Chase, MD: American Society of Addiction Medicine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jamner, L.D. et al (2003) Tobacco use across the formative years: A road map to developmental vulnerabilities. Nicotine and Tobacco Research 5 (1): S71–S87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joslyn, G. et al (2008) Chromosome 15q25.1 genetic markers associated with level of response to alcohol in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 105: 20368–20373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kendler, K.S., Karkowski, L.M., Corey, L.A., Prescott, C.A. and Neale, M.C. (1999) Genetic and environmental risk factors in the aetiology of illicit drug initiation and subsequent misuse in women. British Journal of Psychiatry 175: 351–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhar, M.J., Ritz, M.C. and Boja, J.W. (1991) The dopamine hypothesis of the reinforcing properties of cocaine. Trends in Neuroscience 14: 299–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhar, M.I. (2002) Social rank and vulnerability to drug abuse. Nature Neurosci 5: 88–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malin, D.H. and Goyarzu, P. (2009) Rodent models of nicotine withdrawal syndrome. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology 192: 401–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meaney, M.J., Brake, W. and Gratton, A. (2002) Environmental regulation of the development of mesolimbic dopamine systems: A neurobiological mechanism for vulnerability to drug abuse? Psychoneuroendocrinology 27: 127–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, D. et al (2002) Social dominance in monkeys' dopamine D2 receptors and cocaine self-administration. Nature Neuroscience 5: 169–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nader, M.A. and Czoty, P.W. (2005) PET imaging of dopamine D2 receptors in monkey models of cocaine abuse: Genetic predisposition versus environmental modulation. American Journal of Psychiatry 162: 1473–1482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nestler, E.J., Hyman, S.E. and Malenka, R.C. (2001) Molecular Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmiter, R.D. (2007) Is dopamine a physiologically relevant mediator of feeding behavior? Trends in Neuroscience 30: 375–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pettit, H.O. and Justice Jr, J.B. (1991) Effect of dose on cocaine self-administration behavior and dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens. Brain Research 539: 94–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Redish, A.D., Jensen, S. and Johnson, A. (2008) A unified framework for addiction: Vulnerabilities in the decision process. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 31: 415–437.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schierenbeck, T., Riemann, D., Berger, M. and Hornyak, M. (2008) Effect of illicit recreational drugs upon sleep: Cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana. Sleep Medicine Reviews 12: 381–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, G.J., Agranoff, B.W., Albers, W.R., Fisher, S.K. and Uhler, M.D. (1999) Basic Neurochemistry, Sixth edn, Lippincott-Raven, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spiga, S., Lintas, A. and Diana, M. (2008) Addiction and cognitive functions. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1139: 299–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uhl, G.R. et al (2008) Molecular genetics of addiction and related heritable phenotypes: Genome-wide association approaches identify ‘connectivity constellation’ and drug target genes with pleiotropic effects. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1141: 318–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Volkow, N.D. et al (1993) Decreased dopamine D2 receptor availability is associated with reduced frontal metabolism in cocaine abusers. Synapse 14: 169–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Volkow, N.D., Wang, G.J., Fowler, J.S. and Telang, F. (2008) Overlapping neuronal circuits in addiction and obesity: Evidence of systems pathology. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences 363: 3191–3200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, F.A. and Anthony, J.C. (2007) Male-female differences in the risk of progression from first use to dependence upon cannabis, cocaine and alcohol. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 86: 191–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, N.M. (1986) Control of sensorimotor function by dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons: Influence on eating and drinking. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 10: 15–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wise, R.A. (2005) Forebrain substrates of reward and motivation. Journal of Comparative Neurology 493: 115–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woolverton, W.L. and Schuster, C.R. (1983) Behavioral and pharmacological aspects of opioid dependence: Mixed agonist-antagonists. Pharmacological Reviews 35: 33–52.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author thanks Susan Marshall, Kristin Bianchi and Dr George W Hubert for assistance with the manuscript, and the support of NIH grants RR00165, and DA00418.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Atlanta, CA, USA

    Michael J Kuhar

Authors
  1. Michael J Kuhar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kuhar, M. Contributions of basic science to understanding addiction. BioSocieties 5, 25–35 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1057/biosoc.2009.5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/biosoc.2009.5

Keywords

Search

Navigation