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🔁 Disorders

🔁Addiction

Compulsive seeking when reward prediction and control circuits tip.

Also called: substance use disorder · compulsive use

Addiction
Drs. Nora Volkow and Heinrich Schelbert, National Institutes of Health (NIH) · Public domain
At a glance
Score intensity

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Score profile

Each bar is a 0-100 atlas score for this topic, not a timeline.

696077577450
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Clinical

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15 min read

Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology

Start with this section - Overview

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Atlas regions to explore

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Nucleus AccumbensFrontal LobeAmygdala

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Quick facts

reward learning gone stickyFocus
69/100Research
60/100Awareness
77/100Complexity
57/100Clinical
50/100Debate

Addiction sits at the centre of reward learning gone sticky — studied across molecules, circuits, behaviour and clinic.

Scores compare research, awareness, complexity, clinical weight, plasticity and debate across the atlas.

Educational neuroscience context only — not medical advice or diagnosis.

69ResearchEditorial 0–100 browsing aid within this atlas.
60AwarenessEditorial 0–100 browsing aid within this atlas.
77ComplexityEditorial 0–100 browsing aid within this atlas.
57Clinical weightEditorial 0–100 browsing aid within this atlas.

Addiction — concrete atlas depth on Tool-Lifes.

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Addiction — concrete atlas depth on Tool-Lifes.

The profile

696077577450
  • Research69
  • Awareness60
  • Complexity77
  • Clinical weight57
  • Plasticity74
  • Live debate50

Seven ways into this topic

Frequently asked questions

Where should I start with Addiction?
Read Overview → Anatomy → Function, then use compare rails.
Is this page advice for Addiction?
Educational atlas — not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or medical advice.
What does the local lens add?
It names everyday desks for Disorders before English norms look universal.
Are the scores a ranking of Addiction?
No — editorial 0–100 browsing aids inside this atlas only.
How do I compare Addiction to neighbours?
Use related cards and best-of / quiz rails after the first three chapters.
Which chapter is densest?
Anatomy and Function carry mechanisms; skim Overview first.
Can I cite these scores externally?
Treat them as atlas orientation, not certificates or forecasts.
What should I check before acting?
Primary desks for Disorders: clinics, schools and research labs.

Sources & research

  1. Neural systems of reinforcement for drug addictionEveritt BJ; Robbins TW · 2005 · Nature NeuroscienceDOIPubMed
  2. The neural basis of addictionKoob GF; Volkow ND · 2010 · NeuropsychopharmacologyDOIPubMed
  3. Addiction as a brain disease revisedHeilig M; et al. · 2021 · NeuropsychopharmacologyDOIPubMed

Media credits

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