Approved Research

Neurofunctional Domains of Addiction

Lay summary

Individuals who are given the diagnosis of substance use disorder may have different clinical presentations. Informed by neuroscience, researchers have identified three sets of characteristics that put people at risk for addiction and relapse, namely more negative emotions, worse cognitive abilities, and greater sensitivity to the rewards of addictive behavior. The purpose of this project is to understand how these three sets of characteristics relate to the development, maintenance, and treatment of addiction. We will use data from the UK Biobank and data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) intramural research program to investigate how genes and environment are linked to these characteristics, whether these characteristics are related to activity in specific areas of the brain, and if these domains are correlated with the progression of addictions and treatment outcomes. This project is expected to take 3 years or more to complete. Results from this project will help us identify individuals at-risk for addictions, provide better science-based diagnostic classifications, improve treatment for substance use disorder, and as a result reduce the overall burden of addictions on society.