Natural rewards, neuroplasticity, and non-drug addictions

There is a high degree of overlap between brain regions involved in processing natural rewards and drugs of abuse. “Non-drug” or “behavioral” addictions have become increasingly documented in the clinic, and pathologies include compulsive activities such as shopping, eating, exercising, sexual behavior, and gambling. Like drug addiction, non-drug addictions manifest in symptoms including craving, impaired control over the behavior, tolerance, withdrawal, and high rates of relapse. These alterations in behavior suggest that plasticity may be occurring in brain regions associated with drug addiction. In this review, I summarize data demonstrating that exposure to non-drug rewards can alter neural plasticity in regions of the brain that are affected by drugs of abuse. Research suggests that there are several similarities between neuroplasticity induced by natural and drug rewards and that, depending on the reward, repeated exposure to natural rewards might induce neuroplasticity that either promotes or counteracts addictive behavior.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ‘Synaptic Plasticity and Addiction’.

► Disorders such as compulsive gambling and eating have been compared to addiction. ► Drug addiction is associated with neuroplasticity in mesocorticolimbic circuitry. ► I compare/contrast plasticity associated with exposure to drug and non-drug rewards. ► Exposure to high fat/sugar foods or sex induces plasticity similar to drugs of abuse. ► Exercise/enrichment induces plasticity opposite to drugs and lowers drug-seeking.