Psychology Research and Behavior Management

Dove Medical Press is pleased to invite you to submit your research to the upcoming Article Collection “Advancing global addiction neuroscience in the genomic era” organized by Guest Advisor and Editorial Board Member Professor Kenneth Blum in Psychology Research and Behavior Management.

Addiction neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field aimed at unraveling the neural mechanisms underlying addictive behaviors, including eating disorders and behavioral addictions. Numerous neurotransmitters and second messengers contribute to overall well-being and their intricate interactions regulate the controlled release of dopamine at post-neuronal sites, particularly at the nucleus accumbens, commonly referred to as the brain's reward center. In 1995, Kenneth Blum introduced the concept of 'Reward Deficiency Syndrome’ (RDS) to highlight hypofunctionality of the brain reward circuits, clinically manifested as diminution of drives and of capacity to experience pleasure.

Nowadays, it is widely recognized that hypodopaminergia, either acquired and/or influenced by genetic predisposition, contributes to the development of RDS. Thus, people afflicted with RDS might turn to addictive substances in an ill-fated attempt to alleviate their symptoms due to the drugs offering temporary relief from the reward deficits. Yet the ongoing use of such substances exacerbates the deficits over time, subsequently amplifying reward deficiency and stress levels. Moreover, RDS is exacerbated by negative emotions, triggering epigenetic changes like methylation on chromosomal histones, resulting in substantial disruption of gene expression. One potential solution to such deepening distress is engaging in positive and nurturing behaviors that bring about beneficial effects on gene expression and contribute to a healthier reward circuitry. The present Article Collection aims to curate high-quality manuscripts pertaining to addiction neuroscience including relevant genetic and epigenetic factors.

Importance:

In the United States alone, opioid-induced fatal overdoses claim the lives of over 100,000 individuals a year. Globally, around 800 million people exhibit addictive behaviors or RDS, necessitating innovative thinking to address this alarming concern. We firmly believe that early detection of preaddiction traits through tools such as genetic testing is paramount for potential preventive strategies. Shifting the focus from merely prescribing medications e.g., medication assisted therapy for opioid use disorder towards restoring "dopamine homeostasis,” that is to say, “hedonostasis,” may be a complementary approach. While articles aligned with these concepts are of utmost priority, we also encourage the exploration of other pertinent topics within this realm of addiction neuroscience.

Topics that fit within this scope include, but are not limited to:

• Clinical outcome studies with interventions
• Gene-environmental studies related to addictive behaviors
• Substance Use Disorders
• Behavioral Addictions
• Preaddiction
• Neuroepigenetics
• Nutrigenomics
• Preventive strategies
• Genetic assessment tools
• Recovery aspects
• GWAS
• Candidate gene approaches
• mRNA profiling studies
• Micro-RNA and addiction
• Biomarkers for addiction
• Gene therapy approaches
• Genetic edits of reward genes
• Comorbidity across all psychiatric disorders
• Neuroplasticity
• Personalized addiction medicine

Types of articles

• Original research
• Systematic review
• Expert opinion
• Editorial
• Letters to editor
• Case study

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisors for this collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member). Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 1 July 2024.

Please submit your manuscript on our website, quoting the promo code MEZFB to indicate that your submission is for consideration in this Article Collection.

View all papers in this article collection