Animal Modeling and Neurocircuitry of Dual Diagnosis

Dual diagnosis is a problem of tremendous depth and scope, spanning many classes of mental disorders and addictive drugs. Animal models of psychiatric disorders studied in addiction paradigms suggest a unitary nature of mental illness and addiction vulnerability both on the neurocircuit and clinical-behavioral levels. These models provide platforms for exploring the interactive roles of biological, environmental and developmental factors on neurocircuits commonly involved in psychiatric and addiction diseases. While suggestive of the artifice of segregated research, training, and clinical cultures between psychiatric and addiction fields, this research may lead to more parsimonious, integrative and preventative treatments for dual diagnosis.