Substance use disorders are neuropsychiatric disorders1 characterized by increasing use and dependence on either licit (nicotine and alcohol) or illicit substances, such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin and phencyclidine, irrespective of adverse consequences. These substances produce both acute and long-lasting changes in the function of multiple brain regions2, which to some extent are reflected in altered transcriptional patterns. Characterizing transcriptional correlates of substance use may therefore provide an important avenue to gain information on the neurobiology underlying human substance use disorders.
