The primacy of cognition in the manifestations of substance use disorders.

The authors discuss cognitive impairments and substance use disorders in patients who are drug dependent. They state that neuroimages showed cortical abnormalities and pathological changes in brain regions of drug-dependent patients and that pre-existing cognitive deficit may be a risk factor for drug addiction. They also state that deeper study of neural connection-induced cognitive deficits can help in developing better behavioral and pharmacological approaches to treat drug addiction.