Biological Research on Addiction examines the neurobiological mechanisms of drug use and drug addiction, describing how the brain responds to addictive substances as well as how it is affected by drugs of abuse. The book's four main sections examine behavioral and molecular biology; neuroscience; genetics; and neuroimaging and neuropharmacology as they relate to the addictive process. This volume is especially effective in presenting current knowledge on the key neurobiological and genetic elements in an individual's susceptibility to drug dependence, as well as the processes by which some individuals proceed from casual drug use to drug dependence. Biological Research on Addiction is one of three volumes comprising the 2,500-page series, Comprehensive Addictive Behaviors and Disorders. This series provides the most complete collection of current knowledge on addictive behaviors and disorders to date. In short, it is the definitive reference work on addictions. - Each article provides glossary, full references, suggested readings, and a list of web resources - Edited and authored by the leaders in the field around the globe – the broadest, most expert coverage available - Discusses the genetic basis of addiction - Covers basic science research from a variety of animal studies

A comprehensive multidisciplinary review of the most relevant molecular, genetic, and behavioral approaches used to investigate the neurobiological basis of drug addiction. The authors explore the latest findings on opioid, psychostimulant, cannabinoid, alcohol, and nicotine addiction, provide fresh insights into the genetic basis of drug addiction and the new therapeutic perspectives these have opened. They describe the technology available to generate conditional knockout mice and show how these mice can reveal the molecular basis of opioid, psychostimulant, and cannabinoid addiction. They also review the different behavioral models available to evaluate the rewarding effects of drugs and analyze the genes involved in alcohol dependence.

This monograph, written by experts in the field, is devoted to the molecular analysis of addiction pathways in the brain. It provides an intensive overview of the fundamentals, state of the art advances, and major gaps in the cell and molecular biology of drug addiction within the broader context of neuroscience. Addiction research is a branch of neuroscience and psychology. The emphasis in this book is on hard science and the market for it will be found among research investigators and grad students within the field of neuroscience. The research presented is not only applicable to the study of drug abuse and addiction, but has clear implications for clarifying mechanisms of learning and memory, neuroadaptation, perception, volitional behavior, motivation, reward, and other disciplines of neuroscience.