The resting-state brain activity signatures for addictive disorders

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Addiction is a chronic brain disorder with no clear neural signature.
• Previous studies on substance use disorder (SUD) and behavioral addiction (BEA) lack a unified understanding of neural underpinnings.

Approach:

• Performed coordinate-based meta-analysis and partial least-squares regression on 46 studies.
• Analyzed resting-state activity (ReHo, ALFF) in SUD and BEA.
• Integrated neuroimaging data with gene expression and receptor distribution for molecular insights.

Key Points:

• Identified shared hyperactivation in the right striatum and supplementary motor area in addiction.
• Found distinct patterns in the cingulate cortex, vmPFC, and OFC between SUD and BEA.
• Linked altered brain activity to specific neurotransmitter systems (dopamine, GABA, acetylcholine in SUD; additionally serotonin in BEA).

Conclusions:

• Revealed common and distinct neural substrates for SUD and BEA.
• Validated the potential for targeted neuromodulation strategies in addiction treatment.