[Neuroimaging in substance abuse disorders]

The use of neuroimaging techniques in research on substance abuse disorders has advanced our understanding of the underlying pathophysiological and neuropsychological mechanisms. While initial structural imaging techniques were applied to investigate substance abuse-related cerebral atrophy, the functional techniques of SPECT, PET, and later fMRT and MRS provide a much broader range of possible research in this field. Besides their use in characterizing the pharmacology of abused substances and their relations to the pathophysiology of substance abuse disorders, they have also played an essential role in examining the neuropsychiatric underpinnings of the illness and their manifestation in changes of cerebral metabolism. Here, the influence of these techniques on the developing picture of substance abuse disorders is discussed by examining areas of particular scientific interest and reviewing exemplary findings.