About this Research Topic
Stress is the process by which any individual elaborates adaptive responses aimed at maintaining a homeostatic state. In everyday life, our body is exposed to stressors, which are defined by challenging and unpredictable emotional and physiological events.
However, excessive or prolonged stress exposure can promote neuronal, metabolic, and biological adaptations, often resulting in maladaptive behaviors. In particular, stressful events are risk factors for the onset and maintenance of neuropsychiatric disorders such as drug and alcohol addiction, with significant changes in cognitive, neurotransmitter, and neuroendocrine systems.
Despite the common idea of voluntary choice that stigmatizes people with use disorders, addiction is today classified as a chronic and relapsing psychiatric disease characterized by long-lasting neuronal changes. Moreover, thanks to new discoveries in neuroscience, the concept of addiction has become increasingly complex. In fact, the contemporary view of addiction encompasses the need and compulsive search not only for a drug but also for a specific maladaptive behavior (for example addiction to gambling, shopping, or smartphone).
Furthermore, one of the most relevant motivations to develop addictive behaviors is the individual need of succumbing to peer pressure or the attempt of self-medication for a mental disorder.
Given these premises, it is very evident that stress and addiction are two related pathologies, in which the manifestation of one often triggers the onset of the other. Stress plays an integral role in addiction and can alter every stage of this disease, including onset, maintenance, and relapse.
Launching this Research Topic we aim at characterizing the different aspects of the indissoluble link between addiction and stress. In particular, our goal is to clarify how the intensity or the duration of a stress exposure as well as sex differences, can trigger the onset or affect the development of an abused behavior.
Pre-clinical and clinical articles and reviews that can contribute to molecular, behavioral, and physiology studies are welcome to be considered for publication.
However, excessive or prolonged stress exposure can promote neuronal, metabolic, and biological adaptations, often resulting in maladaptive behaviors. In particular, stressful events are risk factors for the onset and maintenance of neuropsychiatric disorders such as drug and alcohol addiction, with significant changes in cognitive, neurotransmitter, and neuroendocrine systems.
Despite the common idea of voluntary choice that stigmatizes people with use disorders, addiction is today classified as a chronic and relapsing psychiatric disease characterized by long-lasting neuronal changes. Moreover, thanks to new discoveries in neuroscience, the concept of addiction has become increasingly complex. In fact, the contemporary view of addiction encompasses the need and compulsive search not only for a drug but also for a specific maladaptive behavior (for example addiction to gambling, shopping, or smartphone).
Furthermore, one of the most relevant motivations to develop addictive behaviors is the individual need of succumbing to peer pressure or the attempt of self-medication for a mental disorder.
Given these premises, it is very evident that stress and addiction are two related pathologies, in which the manifestation of one often triggers the onset of the other. Stress plays an integral role in addiction and can alter every stage of this disease, including onset, maintenance, and relapse.
Launching this Research Topic we aim at characterizing the different aspects of the indissoluble link between addiction and stress. In particular, our goal is to clarify how the intensity or the duration of a stress exposure as well as sex differences, can trigger the onset or affect the development of an abused behavior.
Pre-clinical and clinical articles and reviews that can contribute to molecular, behavioral, and physiology studies are welcome to be considered for publication.
Keywords: Stress, Addiction, Reward, Withdrawal, Neuronal Plasticity
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