Caudate nucleus-dependent navigational strategies are associated with increased use of addictive drugs

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between navigational strategies and the use of abused substances in a sample of healthy young adults. We found that response learners had smoked a significantly greater number of cigarettes in their lifetime than spatial learners, were more likely to have used cannabis, and had double the lifetime alcohol consumption. We discuss the possible relationship between substance abuse and response strategies as well as the implications for the hippocampus, risks of neurological and psychiatric disorders, and healthy cognition.