From crayfish to humans: An evolutionary perspective of addiction

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.12.18398

Keywords:

addiction, evolution, brain reward system, drugs of abuse, phylogenetic perspective

Abstract

Addiction is a complex disease whose manifestation is unique to each individual patient. Despite this, our knowledge suggests that many of the consequences of using drugs of abuse are due to alterations in the brain, which would be similar from one individual to another. Specifically, drugs of abuse drugs act on the brain’s reward system to trigger behavioural effects. In this paper, we will unravel the functions and phylogenetic roots of this system and then explain how drugs of abuse can affect the functioning of the brain. Addiction research and treatment requires a biopsychosocial approach and hence, being aware of the phylogenetic side of this problem can help to build a holistic view of the disease.

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Author Biographies

Carmen Ferrer-Pérez, University of Zaragoza (Spain).

Official Master’s Degree in Drug Addictions: Research, treatment, and Associated Pathology (DITPA) and PhD in Psychology from the University of Valencia (Spain). She is a postdoctoral researcher in the INVESDROGA research group and is an assistant professor at the University of Zaragoza (Spain). Moreover, she is an author and co-author of numerous scientific articles in specialised journals on neuroscience and addiction. 

José Miñarro López, University of Valencia (Spain).

Professor of Psychobiology at the University of Valencia (Spain) and Director of the Official Master’s Degree in Drug Addictions: Research, treatment, and Associated Pathology at the same university. His research activity focuses on the study of the neurobiological basis of drug addiction. He has published more than 150 articles in scientific journals and has collaborated with many national and international research centres. He has also lectured as a visiting professor at several universities, including the Rockefeller University (USA) and Monash University (Australia).

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Published

2022-02-02

How to Cite

Ferrer-Pérez, C., & Miñarro López, J. (2022). From crayfish to humans: An evolutionary perspective of addiction. Metode Science Studies Journal, (12), 57–61. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.12.18398
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Issue

The future of science (2022)

Section

Willpower hijacked. The science of addictions

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