Exploring the biological relationship between substance use and psychiatric disorders

The purpose of the present review is to provide a summary of the complex relationships between neurochemical changes associated with addictive behaviour and the biological markers of comorbid psychiatric disorders, in the attempt to better understand possible patho-plasticity links underlying the behavioural variability of addicted patients. Recent findings provided evidence for both biological changes due to the pharmacological action of psychoactive drugs and neuroendocrine dysregulation that may exist before substance use and induce self-medication attempts. The review underlines the need of a detailed individual assessment for addicted patients, taking into account possible subgroups, in relation to psychiatric comorbidity, family history, genetic features, and personality traits during childhood and adolescence. (C) 2002 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.