The orbitofrontal cortex in drug addiction

Rita Z. Goldstein; Nelly Alia-Klein; Lisa A. Cottone; Nora D. Volkow

doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198565741.003.0019

The orbitofrontal cortex in drug addiction

Rita Z. Goldstein, Nelly Alia-Klein, Lisa A. Cottone, Nora D. Volkow

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Abstract

This chapter reviews the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in the clinical characteristics of drug addiction and their putative neuropsychological mechanisms. The OFC's role in reward processing, saliency attribution, and motivation is hypothesized to allow drugs of abuse to assume such intense value that the drug-addicted individual experiences intense wanting (or craving) of this valuable commodity at the cost of a generalized relative indifference for all other stimuli. It is suggested that the OFC maintains a representation of the drug as valuable. With this impairment in salience attribution, loss of inhibitory control ensues, causing the bingeing component of addiction. When the drug is no longer available, the individual experiences withdrawal, and OFC abnormalities may feedback into relapse to drug use, especially when the drug itself, or merely a cue, triggers the well-maintained association between the drug and its salient value.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	The Orbitofrontal Cortex
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Pages	1-50
Number of pages	50
ISBN (Electronic)	9780191723971
ISBN (Print)	0198565747, 9780198565741
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198565741.003.0019
State	Published - 1 Feb 2010
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Craving
Dependence
Dopamine
Drug
Inhibition
Motivation
Salience
Substance abuse

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10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198565741.003.0019

Cite this

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The orbitofrontal cortex in drug addiction

Abstract

Keywords

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