New Approaches in Addiction Medicine

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How can virtual reality aid in addiction treatment, de-stigmatize disorders, and teach coping strategies? This special issue explores these questions through key neurobiological approaches in addiction research, summarizing findings from the German Research Foundation (DFG) research group FOR 1617 on learning mechanisms in addiction. It covers prominent topics such as Pavlovian conditioning and habitual versus goal-directed behavior. Highlights include reviews of computational theories on reinforcement learning and the role of Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer (PIT) in addiction. The issue reports on the effects of approach bias modification on PIT performance and relapse risk, along with associations between extrastriatal dopamine and symptom severity in alcohol use disorder. It discusses biological correlates of imagining drinking situations and alcohol-related stimuli, emphasizing the influence of context on cue reactivity. Additionally, it presents novel cognitive-behavioral approaches, including virtual reality, that can enhance addiction treatment and the potential of digital tools to revolutionize research and assessment. This focus on learning mechanisms underscores the malleability of human behavior, aiming to de-stigmatize addictive disorders and empower patients. Researchers and clinicians in this field will find valuable insights for addiction prevention and treatment in this volume of Neuropsychobiology.