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A unified framework for addiction: Vulnerabilities in the decision process

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2008

A. David Redish
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455redish@umn.eduhttp://umn.edu/~redish/
Steve Jensen
Affiliation:
Graduate Program in Computer Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455jens0491@umn.edu
Adam Johnson
Affiliation:
Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455john5726@umn.edu

Abstract

The understanding of decision-making systems has come together in recent years to form a unified theory of decision-making in the mammalian brain as arising from multiple, interacting systems (a planning system, a habit system, and a situation-recognition system). This unified decision-making system has multiple potential access points through which it can be driven to make maladaptive choices, particularly choices that entail seeking of certain drugs or behaviors. We identify 10 key vulnerabilities in the system: (1) moving away from homeostasis, (2) changing allostatic set points, (3) euphorigenic “reward-like” signals, (4) overvaluation in the planning system, (5) incorrect search of situation-action-outcome relationships, (6) misclassification of situations, (7) overvaluation in the habit system, (8) a mismatch in the balance of the two decision systems, (9) over-fast discounting processes, and (10) changed learning rates. These vulnerabilities provide a taxonomy of potential problems with decision-making systems. Although each vulnerability can drive an agent to return to the addictive choice, each vulnerability also implies a characteristic symptomology. Different drugs, different behaviors, and different individuals are likely to access different vulnerabilities. This has implications for an individual's susceptibility to addiction and the transition to addiction, for the potential for relapse, and for the potential for treatment.

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Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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