Do reward-processing deficits in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders promote cannabis use? An investigation of physiological response to natural rewards and drug cues

Clifford M. Cassidy, PhD; Mathieu B. Brodeur, PhD; Martin Lepage, PhD; Ashok Malla, MD

There has been rapid expansion of interest in reward-processing deficits in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD). As the nature of the reward deficits is better defined, a key question should be how these deficits may promote maladaptive behaviours, such as substance abuse, which has been conceptualized as pathological reward reinforcement. Deficits in reward processing have been theorized to be an important factor in the comor bidity of SSD and substance use disorders, yet this has not been widely examined.

acesse: http://jpn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/39-4-130207.pdf