Karen D. Ersche

TL;DR: It is argued that a biological approach to psychiatry based on 'neurocognitive endophenotypes', whereby changes in behavioural or cognitive processes are associated with discrete deficits in defined neural systems, has important implications for the future classification of psychiatric disorders, genetics and therapeutics.

TL;DR: It is concluded that methods are available for hierarchical modular decomposition of large numbers of high resolution brain functional networks using computationally expedient algorithms, which could enable future investigations of Simon's original hypothesis that hierarchy or near-decomposability of physical symbol systems is a critical design feature for their fast adaptivity to changing environmental conditions.

TL;DR: Brain abnormalities discovered in fronto-striatal brain systems implicated in self-control in both stimulant-dependent individuals and their biological siblings who have no history of chronic drug abuse support the idea of an underlying neurocognitive endophenotype for stimulant drug addiction.

TL;DR: The ancillary point that chronic abuse of many drugs may impact directly on neural memory systems via neuroadaptive and neurotoxic effects that lead to cognitive impairments in which memory dysfunction is prominent is considered.

TL;DR: Data indicate that impulsivity is a behavioral endophenotype mediating risk for stimulant dependence that may be exacerbated by chronic drug exposure, whereas abnormal sensation-seeking is more likely to be an effect of stimulant drug abuse.