Drugs of Abuse and Addiction

1 Credit · Level: Graduate

Substance use disorders, commonly called addictions, were once viewed largely as a moral failing or character flaw. Over the past decades, however, a substantial body of research has transformed our understanding of substance use disorders, which are now understood to be chronic disorders characterized by significant changes in brain function. This course aims to introduce students to the neurobiology of substance use disorder and explains how addictive substances produce changes in brain structure and function that promote and sustain addiction and contribute to relapse.