From Sugar to Fentanyl: Common Pathways, Different Levels of Addiction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.4236Keywords:
Neuroscience, Addiction, Reward Pathway, Substance Use Disorder, Behavioral AddictionAbstract
In modern society, people are exposed to many substances and activities that can affect the brain's reward system. Though these substances have distinct pharmacology and levels of social acceptance, they share very similar behaviors such as craving, compulsion to take, tolerance, withdrawal, and relapse. In the present review, we classify addictive substances into three different groups based on their addictive potential and neurobiology rather than on their legality: the first group includes sugar and caffeine, the second group involves tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana, and the third group is focused on fentanyl and cocaine. We also review behavioral addictions related to digital media and compare them with substance addiction. By comparing evidence across these domains, this review examines why chemically different substances produce different degrees of dependence and addiction despite engaging overlapping neural reward circuits. Understanding these common mechanisms may improve our understanding of substance use disorders and provide insight into emerging behavioral addictions among adolescents.
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