Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T10:33:18.127Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Neurobiology of Substance and Behavioral Addictions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2014

Abstract

Behavioral addictions, such as pathological gambling, kleptomania, pyromania, compulsive buying, and compulsive sexual behavior, represent significant public health concerns and are associated with high rates of psychiatric comorbidity and mortality. Although research into the biology of these behaviors is still in the early stages, recent advances in the understanding of motivation, reward, and addiction have provided insight into the possible pathophysiology of these disorders. Biochemical, functional neuroimaging, genetic studies, and treatment research have suggested a strong neurobiological link between behavioral addictions and substance use disorders. Given the substantial co-occurrence of these groups of disorders, improved understanding of their relationship has important implications not only for further understanding the neurobiology of both categories of disorders but also for improving prevention and treatment strategies.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Holden, C. ‘Behavioral’ addictions: do they exist? Science. 2001;294:980982.Google Scholar
2. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed, text revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000.Google Scholar
3. Grant, JE, Potenza, MN. Pathological gambling and other behavioral addictions. In: Frances, RJ, Miller, SI, Mack, AH, eds. Clinical Textbook of Addictive Disorders. 3rd ed. New York: Guildford Press; 2005:303320.Google Scholar
4. Blanco, C, Moreyra, P, Nunes, EV, Saiz-Ruiz, J, Ibanez, A. Pathological gambling: addiction or compulsion? Semin Clin Neuropsychiatry. 2001;6:167176.Google Scholar
5. Potenza, MN. Should addictive disorders include non-substance-related conditions? Addiction. 2006;101(suppl 1):142151.Google Scholar
6. Chambers, RA, Potenza, MN. Neurodevelopment, impulsivity, and adolescent gambling. J Gambl Stud. 2003;19:5384.Google Scholar
7. Potenza, MN, Kosten, TR, Rounsaville, BJ. Pathological gambling. JAMA. 2001;286:141144.Google Scholar
8. Crockford, DN, el-Guebaly, N. Psychiatric comorbidity in pathological gambling: a critical review. Can J Psychiatry. 1998;43:4350.Google Scholar
9. Petry, NM, Stinson, FS, Grant, BF. Comorbidity of DSM-IV pathological gambling and other psychiatric disorders: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. J Clin Psychiatry. 2005;66:564574.Google Scholar
10. McCormick, RA, Russo, AM, Ramirez, LF, Taber, JI. Affective disorders among pathological gamblers seeking treatment. Am J Psychiatry. 1984;141:215218.Google Scholar
11. Cunningham-Williams, RM, Cottler, LB, Compton, WM III, Spitznagel, EL. Taking chances: Problem gamblers and mental health disorders-results from the St. Louis Epidemiologic Catchment Area study. Am J Pub Health. 1998;88:10931096.Google Scholar
12. Spunt, B, Lesieur, H, Hunt, D, Cahill, L. Gambling among methadone patients. Int J Addict. 1995;30:929962.Google Scholar
13. Grant, JE, Kim, SW. Clinical characteristics and associated psychopathology of 22 patients with kleptomania. Compr Psychiatry. 2002;43:378384.Google Scholar
14. McElroy, SL, Pope, HG, Hudson, JI, Keck, PE, White, KL. Kleptomania: a report of 20 cases. Am J Psychiatry. 1991;148:652657.Google Scholar
15. Christenson, GA, Faber, RJ, de Zwaan, M, et al. Compulsive buying: descriptive characteristics and psychiatric comorbidity. J Clin Psychiatry. 1994;55:511.Google Scholar
16. Schlosser, S, Black, DW, Repertinger, S, Freet, D. Compulsive buying: demography, phenomenology, and comorbidity in 46 subjects. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 1994;16:205212.Google Scholar
17. Potenza, MN. The neurobiology of pathological gambling. Semin Clin Neuropsychiatry. 2001;6:217226.Google Scholar
18. Benkelfat, C, Murphy, DL, Hill, JL, George, DT, Nutt, D, Linnoila, M. Ethanollike properties of the serotonergic partial agonist m-chlorophenylpiperazine in chronic alcoholic patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991;48:383.Google Scholar
19. Kalivas, PW, Volkow, ND. The neural basis of addiction: a pathology of motivation and choice. Am J Psychiatry. 2005;162:14031413.Google Scholar
20. Bergh, C, Eklund, T, Sodersten, P, Nordin, C. Altered dopamine function in pathological gambling. Psychol Med. 1997;27:473475.Google Scholar
21. Blum, K, Cull, JG, Braverman, ER, Comings, DE. Reward deficiency syndrome. Am Scientist. 1996;84:132145.Google Scholar
22. Nestler, E, Aghajanian, GK. Molecular and cellular basis of addiction. Science. 1997;278:5862.Google Scholar
23. Chambers, RA, Taylor, JR, Potenza, MN. Developmental neurocircuitry of motivation in adolescence: a critical period of addiction vulnerability. Am J Psychiatry. 2003;160:10411052.Google Scholar
24. Loba, P, Stewart, SH, Klein, RM, Blackburn, JR. Manipulations of the features of standard video lottery terminal (VLT) games: effects in pathological and non-pathological gamblers. J Gambl Stud. 2001;17:297320.Google Scholar
25. Zack, M, Poulos, CX. Amphetamine primes motivation to gamble and gambling-related semantic networks in problem gamblers. Neuropsychopharmacol. 2004;29:195207.Google Scholar
26. Dackis, C, O'Brien, C. Neurobiology of addiction: treatment and public policy ramifications. Nat Neurosci. 2005;8:14311436.Google Scholar
27. Grant, JE, Potenza, MN, Hollander, E, et al. A multicenter investigation of the opioid antagonist nalmefene in the treatment of pathological gambling. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163:303312.Google Scholar
28. Grant, JE, Kim, SW. An open label study of naltrexone in the treatment of kleptomania. J Clin Psychiatry. 2002;63:349356.Google Scholar
29. Kim, SW, Grant, JE, Adson, D, Shin, YC. Double-blind naltrexone and placebo comparison study in the treatment of pathological gambling. Biol Psychiatry. 2001;49:914921.Google Scholar
30. Volpicelli, JR, Alterman, AI, Hayashida, M, O'Brien, CP. Naltrexone in the treatment of alcohol dependence Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1992;49:876880.Google Scholar
31. Mason, BJ, Salvato, FR, Williams, LD, Ritvo, EC, Cutler, RB. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of oral nalmefene for alcohol dependence. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999;56:719724.Google Scholar
32. Schmitt, LH, Harrison, GA, Spargo, RM. Variation in epinephrine and cortisol excretion rates associated with behavior in an Australian Aboriginal community. Am J Phys Anthropol. 1998;106:249253.Google Scholar
33. Ramirez, LF, McCormick, RA, Lowy, MT. Plasma cortisol and depression in pathological gamblers. Br J Psychiatry. 1988;153:684686.Google Scholar
34. Roy, A, Adinoff, B, Roehrich, L, et al. Pathological gambling. A psychobiological study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1988;45:369373.Google Scholar
35. Meyer, G, Hauffa, BP, Schedlowski, M, Pawlak, C, Stadler, MA, Exton, MS. Casino gambling increases heart rate and salivary cortisol in regular gamblers. Biol Psychiatry. 2000;48:948953.Google Scholar
36. Krueger, THC, Schedlowski, M, Meyer, G. Cortisol and heart rate measures during casino gambling in relation to impulsivity. Neuropsychobiology. 2005;52:206211.Google Scholar
37. Meyer, G, Schwertfeger, J, Exton, MS, et al. Neuroendocrine response to casino gambling in problem gamblers. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2004;29:12721280.Google Scholar
38. Potenza, MN, Steinberg, MA, Skudlarski, P, et al. Gambling urges in pathological gambling: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2003;60:828836.Google Scholar
39. Potenza, MN, Leung, HC, Blumberg, HP, et al. An FMRI Stroop task study of ventromedial prefrontal cortical function in pathological gamblers. Am J Psychiatry. 2003;160:19901994.Google Scholar
40. Reuter, J, Raedler, T, Rose, M, Hand, I, Glascher, J, Buchel, C. Pathological gambling is linked to reduced activation of the mesolimbic reward system. Nat Neurosci. 2005;8:147148.Google Scholar
41. London, ED, Ernst, M, Grant, S, Bonson, K, Weinstein, A. Orbitofrontal cortex and human drug abuse: functional imaging. Cereb Cortex. 2000;10:334342.Google Scholar
42. Bechara, A. Risky business: emotion, decision-making, and addiction. J Gambl Stud. 2003;19:2351.Google Scholar
43. Lim, KO, Choi, SJ, Pomara, N, Wolkin, A, Rotrosen, JP. Reduced frontal white matter integrity in cocaine dependence: a controlled diffusion tensor imaging study. Biol Psychiatry. 2002;51:890895.Google Scholar
44. Grant, JE, Correia, S, Brennan-Krohn, T. White matter integrity in kleptomania: a pilot study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2006;147:233237. Epub 2006 Sep 7.Google Scholar
45. Hollander, E, Pallanti, S, Baldini Rossi, N, Sood, E, Baker, BR, Buchsbaum, MS. Imaging monetary reward in pathological gamblers. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2005;6:113120.Google Scholar
46. Crockford, DN, Goodyear, B, Edwards, J, Quickfall, J, el-Guebaly, N. Cue-induced brain activity in pathological gamblers. Biol Psychiatry. 2005;58:787795.Google Scholar
47. Cavedini, P, Riboldi, G, Keller, R, D'Annucci, A, Bellodi, L. Frontal lobe dysfunction in pathological gambling patients. Biol Psychiatry. 2002;51:334341.Google Scholar
48. Petry, NM. Pathological Gambling: Etiology, Comorbidity, and Treatment. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2005.Google Scholar
49. Rugle, L, Melamed, L. Neuropsychological assessment of attention problems in pathological gamblers. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1993;181:107112.Google Scholar
50. Specker, SM, Carlson, GA, Christenson, GA, Marcotte, M. Impulse control disorders and attention deficit disorder in pathological gamblers. Ann Clin Psychiatry. 1995;7:175179.Google Scholar
51. Diskin, KM, Hodgins, DC. Narrowing of attention and dissociation in pathological video lottery gamblers. J Gambl Stud. 2000;16:461467.Google Scholar
52. Goudriaan, AE, Oosterlaan, J, de Beurs, E, van den Brink, W. Neurocognitive functions in pathological gambling: a comparison with alcohol dependence, Tourette syndrome and normal controls. Addiction. 2006;101:534547 Google Scholar
53. Kertzman, S, Lowengrub, K, Aizer, A, Ben Nahum, Z, Kotler, M, Dannon, PN. Stroop performance in pathological gamblers. Psychiatry Res. 2006;142:110.Google Scholar
54. Grant, JE, Odlaug, BL, Wozniak, JR. Neuropsychological functioning in kleptomania. Behav Res Ther. 2006 Sep 26: [Epub ahead of print].Google Scholar
55. Shah, KR, Potenza, MN, Eisen, SA. Biological basis for pathological gambling. In Grant, JE, Potenza, MN, eds. Pathological Gambling: A Clinical Guide to Treatment. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc; 2004:127142.Google Scholar
56. Potenza, MN, Xian, H, Shah, K, Scherrer, JF, Eisen, SA. Shared genetic contributions to pathological gambling and major depression in men. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62:10151021.Google Scholar
57. Comings, DE, Rosenthal, RJ, Lesieur, HR, et al. A study of the dopamine D2 receptor gene in pathological gambling. Pharmacogenetics. 1996;6:223234.Google Scholar
58. Comings, DE, Gade, R, Wu, S, et al. Studies of the potential role of the dopamine D1 receptor gene in addictive behaviors. Mol Psychiatry. 1997;2:4456.Google Scholar
59. Comings, DE, Gonzalez, N, Wu, S, et al. Studies of the 48 bp repeat polymorphism of the DRD4 gene in impulsive, compulsive, addictive behaviors: Tourette syndrome, ADHD, pathological gambling, and substance abuse. Am J Med Genet. 1999;88:358368.Google Scholar
60. Perez de Castro, I, Ibanez, A, Torres, P, Saiz-Ruiz, J, Fernandez-Piqueras, J. Genetic association study between pathological gambling and a functional DNA polymorphism at the D4 receptor gene. Pharmacogenetics. 1997;7:345348.Google Scholar
61. O'Brien, CP, McKay, J. Pharmacological treatments for substance use disorders. In: Nathan, PE, Gorman, JM, eds. A Guide to Treatments that Work. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press: 2002:125156.Google Scholar
62. Grant, JE, Potenza, MN. Impulse control disorders: clinical characteristics and pharmacological management. Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2004;16:2734.Google Scholar
63. Oslin, DW, Berrettini, W, Kranzler, HR, et al. A functional polymorphism of the muopioid receptor gene is associated with naltrexone response in alcohol-dependent patients. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003;28:15461552.Google Scholar
64. Potenza, MN. Impulse control disorders and co-occurring disorders: dual diagnosis considerations. Journal of Dual Diagnosis. In press.Google Scholar
65. Hollander, E, Kaplan, A, Pallanti, S. Pharmacological treatments. In: Grant, JE, Potenza, MN. Pathological Gambling: A Clinical Guide to Treatment. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. 2004:189206.Google Scholar
66. Hollander, E, DeCaria, CM, Finkell, JN, Begaz, T, Wong, CM, Cartwright, C. A randomized double-blind fluvoxamine/placebo crossover trial in pathological gambling. Biol Psychiatry. 2000;47:813817.Google Scholar
67. Hollander, E, Pallanti, S, Allen, A, Sood, E, Baldini Rossi, N. Does sustained-release lithium reduce impulsive gambling and affective instability versus placebo in pathological gamblers with bipolar spectrum disorders? Am J Psychiatry. 2005;162:137146.Google Scholar
68. Grant, JE, Potenza, MN. Escitalopram in the treatment of pathological gambling with co-occurring anxiety: An open-label study with double-blind discontinuation. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2006;21:203209.Google Scholar
69. Black, DW. An open-label trial of bupropion in the treatment of pathologic gambling. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2004;24:108110.Google Scholar
70. Stein, DJ, Lochner, C. Obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders: a multidimensional approach. Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2006;29:343351.Google Scholar