Reward and Decision Making Opportunities and Future Directions

brain systems, they provide a unique challenge in understanding how pharmacological activation influences reward mechanisms leading to persistent compulsive be-The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) supports over 85 percent of the havior. On the other hand, the study of obesity, world's research on drug pathological gambling, and other motivated states asso-abuse and addiction. Drug ciated with, and leading to, compulsive behavior will addiction has been identi-provide an opportunity to learn about the possible pre-fied as a chronic disorder dispositions and variations in the " reward circuit " that that has many characteris-lead to compulsive uncontrollable behavior, indepen-tics, including a high rate of relapse, persistent desire dent of direct pharmacological activation of brain re-or compulsion to use a drug, loss of control of drug ward circuits. intake, reduction in other important activities because The research reported in this special issue of Neuron of drug use, continued use despite knowledge of harm, is advancing our understanding and continuing the sci-marked tolerance, characteristic withdrawal symptoms, entific debate about the mechanisms of reward, and in and increased negative emotional state or stress when turn, this research is informing the scientific community the drug is unavailable. The process of becoming ad-about the mechanisms underlying drug abuse and addicted to drugs often begins with non-compulsive or less diction. NIDA is committed to supporting molecular, cel-frequent use, which, over time, can lead to compulsive, lular, and systems neurobiology research, as well as uncontrollable drug use. behavioral and cognitive science research associated A substantial and diverse body of research shows that with reward and decision-making processes. Advances many of the neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms in our understanding of how dynamic changes in reward of drug reward are similar to those mechanisms that processes lead to compulsive behavior across different subserve natural rewards. Research is giving us new drug and non-drug rewards will provide new insights insight into how these mechanisms work and how they leading to a more comprehensive and better under-fail. The dopamine system and key cortical and sub-standing of drug addiction, resulting in the opportunity cortical neural circuits have been implicated in moti-for the development of more effective and targeted treat-vated behavior, learning and memory, and other higher-ments for this disorder. order cognitive functions in the processing of drug and For further information about NIDA's interest in natural non-drug rewards. The brain reward circuit has mechanisms of reward and implications for drug addic-dopaminergic neurons from …