A review of the neurobiological underpinning of comorbid substance use and mood disorders

There have been previous attempts to describe models that could explain the interrelationship between substance use (SUDs) and mood disorders. However, the neurobiological basis of these dual diagnoses remains unclear. Four predominant hypotheses assist in explaining the interrelationship. The self-medication hypothesis considers drug use to be the result of an attempt to alleviate pre-existing symptoms of a mental disorder (Markou et al., 1998, Khantzian, 1985); while a second hypothesis argues that repeated drug administration leads to a neuronal adaptation in brain areas mediating mental illness (McEwen, 2000, Markou et al., 1998).

Source: Journal of Affective Disorders - August 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Authors: Nieves G ómez-Coronado, Rickinder Sethi, Chiara Cristina Bortolasci, Lauren Arancini, Michael Berk, Seetal Dodd Source Type: research