Neuropsychopharmacology: are we ready for a paradigm shift?

The "paradigm shift" in the title of this article refers to molecular biology. The real challenge to molecular biologists interested in applying their methods to an understanding of psychiatric disorders involves the development of models that account for gene/environment/development interaction. Because of the existence of homologous animal models of addictive disorders, as well as a rich body of clinical observations and clinical and behavioral research, and recent data suggesting that chronic exposure to addictive drugs results in changes in gene expression in neurons from behaviorally relevant brain regions, addictive disorders offer a serendipitous model (to molecular biologists) that may have relevance to subsequent application in other areas of psychiatry and psychology.