The Neural Mechanisms of Reward Processing and Addictive Behaviors
A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Behavioral Neuroscience".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 315
Special Issue Editors
Interests: rewards; substance abuse; cannabinoid receptors; addiction; impulsivity; hippo-campus; cerebellum
Interests: neuropharmacological mechanisms of brain injury, particularly cognitive deficit, seizures and ischemia; the identification of pharmacological strategies that promote neuroprotection in experimental models
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Reward processing has long been recognized as a fundamental function of the nervous system, essential for survival, adaptive decision-making, reinforcement learning, and motivated behavior. Over the past decades, research on reward-related neural mechanisms has evolved from classical dopaminergic models toward integrative frameworks involving cortical and subcortical circuits, including the prefrontal cortex, ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and other components of the mesolimbic pathway. This work has also highlighted the contribution of neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory systems, including dopamine, glutamate, GABA, endocannabinoids, and neuropeptides.
This Special Issue aims to provide an updated and integrative overview of the neural mechanisms underlying reward processing and addictive behaviors. Its scope includes molecular, cellular, circuit-level, behavioral, translational, and clinical approaches.
We welcome original research articles, reviews, systematic reviews, and perspective papers focused on cutting-edge advances in neural circuitry, synaptic plasticity, developmental vulnerability, sex differences, biomarkers, and novel therapeutic targets related to reward and addiction. Contributions employing animal models, human studies, neuroimaging, electrophysiology, pharmacological approaches, and computational methods are particularly encouraged.
Prof. Dr. Mónica Méndez-Díaz
Dr. Javier Franco-Pérez
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- reward
- addiction
- mesolimbic pathway
- ventral tegmental area
- nucleus accumbens
- hippocampus
- dopamine
- endocannabinoid system
- substance use disorders
- motivated behavior
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