About this Research Topic
Substance use disorders (SUDs) represent a significant public health, well-being and economic burden that affect millions of individuals worldwide. SUDs present a complex nature and depend on biopsychosocial aspects, including genetics, behavior, emotion, cognition, physiology, and environment. Although science has made great progress on the knowledge of neurophysiological and neuroendocrine mechanisms underpinning SUDs, low effectiveness of available treatments is still a major problem for most patients, indicating that the neurobiological basis of SUDs is still not fully understood. In the same way, the neurobiological basis of vulnerability or protective factors for SUDs is still far from being fully comprehended. It is unquestionable that new studies approaching this issue would highly benefit the development of more effective preventative or therapeutic strategies for patients.
In this research topic, our main goal is to advance the understanding of the neurobiological substrates underlying SUDs. We aim to shed light to potential neural targets for promising new therapies for SUDs. Those targets may include receptors, neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, activity of neuronal and non-neuronal specific cell subtypes, and neural pathways, among others. In addition, we aim to build on the current knowledge of the neurobiological basis of risk or protective factors for SUDs, by promoting a discussion on how exposure to those factors could induce neuroadaptations associated with SUDs vulnerability or prevention. Lastly, we want to point to possible future non-pharmacological treatments/therapies or preventative interventions.
The editorial team aims to gather preclinical and clinical articles (original research, reviews, mini reviews, opinion, protocols, etc.) exploring the neurobiological mechanisms associated with the onset and development of SUDs, as well as relapse to drug seeking or taking behaviors. Moreover, we aim to bring together studies on the neuroadaptations induced by exposure to potential risk factors (e.g., exposure to early-life stress, acute or chronic environmental stress, socioeconomic conditions) and putative protective factors (e.g. environmental and cognitive enrichment, social support, physical exercise) for SUDs. These new findings could possibly indicate promising directions for the development of more effective preventive or therapeutic options for SUDs.
In this research topic, our main goal is to advance the understanding of the neurobiological substrates underlying SUDs. We aim to shed light to potential neural targets for promising new therapies for SUDs. Those targets may include receptors, neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, activity of neuronal and non-neuronal specific cell subtypes, and neural pathways, among others. In addition, we aim to build on the current knowledge of the neurobiological basis of risk or protective factors for SUDs, by promoting a discussion on how exposure to those factors could induce neuroadaptations associated with SUDs vulnerability or prevention. Lastly, we want to point to possible future non-pharmacological treatments/therapies or preventative interventions.
The editorial team aims to gather preclinical and clinical articles (original research, reviews, mini reviews, opinion, protocols, etc.) exploring the neurobiological mechanisms associated with the onset and development of SUDs, as well as relapse to drug seeking or taking behaviors. Moreover, we aim to bring together studies on the neuroadaptations induced by exposure to potential risk factors (e.g., exposure to early-life stress, acute or chronic environmental stress, socioeconomic conditions) and putative protective factors (e.g. environmental and cognitive enrichment, social support, physical exercise) for SUDs. These new findings could possibly indicate promising directions for the development of more effective preventive or therapeutic options for SUDs.
Keywords: Substance use disorders, Addiction, Drug abuse, Neural targets, Neural circuits
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