MEDEDU X211 - The Neurobiology of Addiction and Recovery
This course explores the neuroscience of addiction and recovery, linking brain-based changes in reward, stress, and control systems to real-world clinical behavior. Learners will gain a biologically grounded, compassionate framework for understanding substance use disorders and supporting recovery.
Delivery Options
Online Self-Paced: This course is delivered fully online and allows learners to complete the content independently.
Time to Completion
This course is projected to take 1 hour to complete.
Course Completion Requirements
Successful completion of this course requires achieving at least 80% on all course assessments.
Technology Requirements
- Reliable internet connection
- Recommended browsers: Google Chrome or Firefox
What You’ll Learn
- Be introduced to the brain’s reward system and explain how dopamine, endogenous opioids, and endocannabinoids work together to drive motivation and learning.
- Explore how the brain adapts to ongoing substance use by dampening reward signaling and activating stress systems.
- Examine why some individuals are more vulnerable to addiction than others, with attention to genetics, development, environment, and trauma.
- Understand how repeated substance use shifts behavior from deliberate choice to automatic compulsion.
- Explore addiction as a condition that unfolds between people, not just within individuals.
- Focus on how the brain recovers during treatment and sustained recovery.
- Connect the stages of change to underlying brain processes and clinical decision-making.
What You’ll Earn
- Certificate of Completion from Center for Continuing Medical Education (CCME) at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUMC).
Additional Information
Instructor: Dr. Stephanie Traylor
Through the support of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, these training modules have been developed to educate the healthcare workforce that serves patients with substance use disorders. Successful completion of a single course provides one hour of free continuing education credit for physicians and nurse practitioners. Participants may complete all courses in the OneOhio series or select those presenting opportunities for professional growth.
Contact Us
For questions about enrollment, payment options, technology support, or course records, please contact our Enrollment Support team. Inquiries are typically answered within 24 business hours.
For questions about course content or learning objectives, please contact Sarah Dove.