Neurobiology of Addiction

Drugs of abuse can cause changes in the brain leading to addiction. Current scientific focus has been on how these drugs interact with the brain and the changes they cause, how those changes affect human behavior and how they may last beyond termination of drug use. Compulsiveness in seeking the drug, impulsiveness in consuming the drug, and negative affect when the drug is withheld are characteristic of addiction. Each of these characteristics has a root in neurobiology and understanding their mechanisms helps us to understand addiction and see potential targets for treatment.