to discount the greater reward for smaller immediate rewards. Delayed discounting has been used to assess impulsive choice of small, sooner rewards over larger, delayed rewards. Thus, the present value of a reward decreases as a function of duration of the delay required to receive the reward. This involves executive working memory components reducing impulsive choices, delaying responses for later greater reward (Petry, 2001). Human alcohol and drug abusers compared to never-users or ex-users show consistent deficits in delayed discounting (de Wit, 2009; Petry, 2001). Reciprocal connections between frontal cortical brain regions, hippocampal-amygdala limbic brain areas and striatal regions regulate goal directed behavior (Winstanley, 2007). A fundamental aspect of addiction is continued use of alcohol or other substances. Alcoholics have deficits in working memory and decisions making that are similar to deficits found in individuals with frontal cortical damage (Bechara, 2005; Bechara et al., 1994) Multiple components of impulsivity, including delay discounting, behavioral inhibition and poor attention, show deficits in alcohol and substance abusing individuals (de Wit, 2009). This review will relate chronic drug induced changes in brain to changes in behavior that underlie alcohol use disorder and other addictions. In addition, mechanisms of successful treatment involve change in behavior
