Neuroimaging of Addiction

Modern imaging techniques have allowed researchers to noninvasively peer into the human brain and investigate, among many other things, the acute effects and long-term consequences of drug abuse. Here, we review the most commonly used and some emerging imaging techniques in addiction research, explain how the various techniques generate their characteristic images, and describe the rational that researchers use to interpret them. In addition, examples of seminal imaging findings are highlighted that illustrate the contribution of each imaging modality to the expansion in our understanding of the neurobiological bases of drug abuse and addiction, and how they can be parlayed in the future into clinical and therapeutic applications.