There are multiple routes for examining the potential role of distinct genetic influences on craving. In the literature, craving has been studied in the context of drug compulsion, and consequently as a correlate of relapse, particularly under negative emotional states (Marlatt & Gordon, 1985). Studies of cue-elicited craving report activation in brain regions that constitute dopamine pathways. For instance, Childress et al. (Childress et al., 1999), reported increases in cerebral blood flow in limbic (amygdala and anterior cingulated) regions when cocaine users were exposed to drug videos. In addition, dopamine-rich regions such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA) have been implicated in the neuroplasticity underlying the development of addiction and the emergence of craving (Kalivas & O’Brien, 2008). Accordingly, genes in the dopamine pathway may yield promising insights regarding the genetic contributions to craving.
