About this Research Topic
Although we know the major brain structures involved in the addiction cycle and the reward system, there is still room to improve our understanding of the underlying neuroanatomical basis of substance use disorders, including the plasticity of the brain during and after drug use and abuse, and the prevalence of relapse. With new or improved-upon technologies such as optogenetics, chemogenetics, transcriptomics, proteomics, viral delivered tracers and activation molecules, microscopy, electrophysiology, and new ways to observe and measure neurotransmitter release, there is a plethora of new information to gain and add to the field.
This special topic is aimed at presenting not only original, primary research articles, but also review articles that examine the neuroanatomical correlates of substance use disorders not previously examined. Papers addressing the topic from the cellular to systems levels are welcome, especially those that put cellular models into a system's context. Preference will be given to the most prevalent and pressing substance use disorders, such as alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder.
Keywords: Addiction, Anatomy, Circuitry, Receptors, Neurons, Relapse, Glia
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.