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Cognitive control and the dopamine D 2 ‐like receptor: a dimensional understanding of addiction
Author(s) -
Groman Stephanie M.,
Jentsch J. David
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/da.20897
Subject(s) - cognition , psychology , psychosocial , addiction , comorbidity , clinical psychology , cognitive psychology , psychiatry
The phenotypic complexity of psychiatric conditions is revealed by the dimensional nature of these disorders, which consist of multiple behavioral, affective, and cognitive dysfunctions that can result in substantial psychosocial impairment. The high degree of heterogeneity in symptomatology and comorbidity suggests that simple categorical diagnoses of “affected” or “unaffected” may fail to capture the true characteristics of the disorder in a manner relevant to individualized treatment. A particular dimension of interest is cognitive control ability because impairments in the capacity to control thoughts, feelings, and actions are key to several psychiatric disorders. Here, we describe evidence suggesting that cognitive control over behavior is a crucial dimension of function relevant to addictions. Moreover, dopamine (DA) D 2 ‐receptor transmission is increasingly being identified as a point of convergence for these behavioral and cognitive processes. Consequently, we argue that measures of cognitive control and D 2 DA receptor function may be particularly informative markers of individual function and treatment response in addictions. Depression and Anxiety 0:1–12, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.