Addiction - From pleasure to dependence

It is a psychological and physical state of dependence on a substance, an activity or a behavior, which is characterized by a compulsive and repeated search for this substance, activity or behavior, despite the negative consequences that it can cause on the daily life of the individual.

Addiction is a pathology based on the repeated consumption of a product (tobacco, alcohol, drugs ...) or the abnormally excessive practice of a behavior (games, time on social networks ...) that leads to : 

a loss of control over the level of consumption/practice
a change in emotional balance
medical problems 
The most frequent addictions are those related to regulated psychoactive substances (tobacco, alcohol...), diverted from their use (drugs, poppers, glues, solvents...) or illicit (cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy...). Other potentially addictive substances are regularly appearing, such as nitrous oxide contained in whipped cream cartridges or new synthetic products (MDMA, cathinones, etc.). All of them have an immediate effect on perceptions, mood and behavior, to a variable degree, and expose to a risk of dependence more or less rapid and more or less severe. 

Researchers are using biomarkers to study addiction by measuring biological indicators that can help diagnose and treat addictions:

• Next-generation sequencing (NGS) to study changes in gene expression
• Bioinformatics and biostatistical tools to discover new biomarkers
• Oxidative stress markers
• Inflammatory markers
• Neurotransmitter markers 
• Genetic markers
• GammaGT
• GMV: Mean Blood Volume
• CDT
• Transaminases
• Phosphatidylethanol
• Urinary ethylglucuronide