It is a great pleasure to announce the inauguration of the first journal dedicated to the concept of Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) coined in 1996 by one of us (KB) as a new way to look at all addictive, obsessive and compulsive behaviors including substance and process addictions, personality and spectrum disorders. The RDS concept embraced by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) in the new definition of addiction has appeared in encyclopedias and has been used globally in hundreds of peer-reviewed articles.

The Journal of Addiction Science will provide a platform for understanding of the commonality of brain function in substance and non-substance addictive behaviors. Exploration of the resting state functionality of the entire brain reward circuitry and associated extended networks provides the basis for a remarkable list of addictive behaviors that share common brain mechanisms. Those mechanisms that include Prefrontal Cortices and memory, etc. are being elucidated in thousands of neuroimaging reports worldwide.

This seemingly diverse group of substances and non-substance behaviors, such as pathological gaming, overeating, dysfunctional sexual activity amongst others, fetter billions of people. We the editors of the journal recognize the interchangeable interaction amongst all of these repetitive behaviors that result in an array of unwanted and devastating outcomes including fatality.

We welcome articles from both bench and bedside that promise to deliver well researched and sound minded work from a multidisciplinary community of academicians (basic science) and professionals (clinical science) alike. The members of the editorial board of the Addiction Science journal are well versed in the science of brain reward circuitry and clinical outcomes of victims of RDS. Each submitted paper will be given appropriate attention and accepted only after rigorous peer review. As an open-access journal, we are dedicated to a rapid review process and a fair-minded approach without bias.

As editors-in-chief, we embrace not only biologically based science but the holistic, psychosocial and spiritual aspects of the recovery process. So join us and become part of an effort to explore the common mechanisms for all addictions and through our continued understanding of psychiatric genetics, epigenetics, neuroimaging, and neuroscience, work towards a world-class “blueprint” for redeeming joy by making life free from the pain of addiction possible!

Warm regards,

Ken & Raj