Dr. John Femino, 2019
This lecture was presented by Dr. John Femino at RI PREVCON 2019. The presentation reviews the neurobiology of addiction and applies it to prevention strategies and treatments. Biological differences in the inherited and acquired risks/strengths are reviewed and organized by ASAM dimensions of care. The impact on brain pathways involving reward, emotional regulation, impulsivity, novelty seeking and risk avoidance is discussed by genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of action. Dr. John Femino shares his experiences in research on genetic testing for addiction risk and review studies on functional biomarkers for dysfunctional motor and cognitive functioning. Lastly, this presentation explores the development of new genetic testing, functional imaging and experimental antibody treatments and their impact on future prevention and early identification activities.