The use of Positron emission tomography (PET) to study the effects of acute and chronic
alcohol on the human brain has enhanced our understanding of the mechanisms underlying …

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays an important role in high-order executive
processes and sends highly organized projections to sub-cortical regions controlling mood …

Exposure to addictive substances impairs flexible decision making. Cognitive flexibility is
mediated by striatal cholinergic interneurons (CINs). However, how chronic alcohol drinking …

Excessive drinking to intoxication is the major behavioral characteristic of those addicted to
alcohol but it is not the only one. Indeed, individuals addicted to alcohol also crave alcoholic …

Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by an increase in risk behaviors,
including nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI). Heightened reward‐related brain activation and …

Background Substance use is partially driven by habitual processes that occur automatically
in response to environmental cues and may be central to users' identities. This study was …

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by excessive habitual drinking and loss of
control over alcohol intake despite negative consequences. Both of these aspects foster …

Existing studies of technology supporting meditation habit formation mainly focus on mobile
applications which support users via reminders. A potentially more effective source of …

Highlights•Review of recent research on the basal ganglia in habit learning.•Habit
representations involve both striatum and cortex.•Direct and indirect pathways both support …

Highlights•Motivated actions are either cue-driven (habitual), or value-based (goal-
directed).•Cue-driven and value-based systems are regulated by distinct neural …