Chapter 01 Introduction to Section 1

Abstract

Section I of the book comprises six chapters, four of which are reprinted from peer-reviewed journals because these are important works that characterize the BDMA and the neuroscientific basis of addiction. Chapters 2 and 3 are written by, respectively, the former and current directors of NIDA and each outlines a clear articulation of the argument that addiction should primarily be considered a disease of the brain. Chapter 4 describes the role of social context in the BDMA, whereas Chapter 5 presents a detailed model of the neurobiological adaptations that underpin habitual and compulsive drug-seeking behavior. The section is completed by two original chapters. One argues that the neuroadaptations that underlie incentive salience attribution warrant the label of brain disease. The final chapter illustrates the impact of the BDMA beyond the scientific and medical communities by describing how it can be reconciled with the underpinning philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous and related 12-Step groups. Collectively, the chapters in this section provide a clear articulation of the BDMA, including claims about the determinants of addictive behaviour and the optimal targets for clinical and public health interventions.

Chapter authors -  

Matt Field 

ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7790-5559

Nick Heather

ORCiD:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7382-863X

Sally Satel

ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9876-8875

& Antony C. Moss

ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9045-2542

Link to publisher's page for Evaluating the Brain Disease Model of Addiction