Understanding the Brain’s “Action Mode”

The brain is a master controller, organized into large-scale neural networks that directly affect whether people with addictions break free or surrender. Research has identified a key site, the action mode network (AMN), offering potential current and future ideas for more readily resolving addictions. This network supports goal-directed behavior, including making decisions, carrying out actions, and adjusting behavior.

In a 2025 paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Badke D’Andrea and colleagues used high-resolution fMRI scans to identify four subnetworks within the AMN, including decision, action, feedback, and bodily self. The AMN–Decision subnetwork weighs options and chooses between competing goals, while the AMN–Action subnetwork carries out chosen actions. AMN–Feedback monitors results of actions and adjusts behavior. Last, AMN–Bodily Self contributes a sense of self. This model helps us appreciate how the brain exerts self-control (or doesn’t), especially important when a person needs to resist powerful conditioned impulses like drug cravings.

Another paper, published in 2025 in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, explains how the brain stops intrusive thoughts, such as drug cravings or invasive unwanted memories. This process involves interconnected circuits. The brain's right dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) are key to inhibiting actions and thoughts. In addition, a frontotemporal pathway linking the PFC with the hippocampus helps suppress unwanted memories/mental images—especially those triggering cravings. The PFC detects when an intrusive thought appears and signals the hippocampus and other structures to suppress it. When this system is impaired—by drug use or mental illness—problematic impulses make it much harder to control behavior. Addictive cravings can also hijack memory and motivation circuits, increasing relapse risks.

The action mode network likely integrates with other networks detecting what’s emotionally or motivationally important. Part of that network flags need for action when something occurs in the environment, like sudden drug cravings. The AMN switches the brain from passive or reflective modes into goal-directed actions.

These systems work together to start/stop actions, affecting whether a person resists impulses or gives in. Importantly, the AMN doesn’t just help with inhibition. It also supports action-oriented self-regulation, helping individuals reorient toward positive, goal-driven behavior. When this system is engaged—through therapy, practice, or brain-based training—even powerful cravings may be halted by suppressing mental representations in the mind before relapse occurs.

Emerging science shows resisting drug use is primarily based on the health of specific brain networks. These networks can be strengthened through cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), non-invasive brain stimulation like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), mindfulness therapy, memory-suppression techniques, medications, or neurosurgical interventions.

Recent work by Anderson and others showed the same prefrontal regions involved in stopping physical actions are also used to suppress unwanted memories/thoughts, including those affecting drug cravings. The right dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex act together as mental brakes working with the hippocampus (which stores memories) and the amygdala (which assigns emotional weight) to block drug sights, smells, sounds, mental imagery, or memories triggering craving. Dysfunction in this system—whether from depression or addiction—makes it difficult to stop recalling “positive” aspects of substance use, like drug euphoria and emotionally charged memories during drug use.

The framework Badke D’Andrea and Anderson provides is a compelling view of how self-control unfolds over time and across brain networks. The decision subnetwork chooses between goals or impulses, while the action subnetwork sets goals into motion. The feedback subnetwork monitors outcomes, allowing course corrections. Finally, the bodily self subnetwork links actions to a sense of identity. All are crucial in recovery, when resisting problematic impulses is essential to rebuilding the self.

Understanding and training these systems may offer future effective paths to addiction recovery, impulse control, and even mental health treatment across a wide range of psychiatric disorders.

Studies of binge drinkers show they have weaker functional connections between the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, making it harder to suppress even neutral memories—not just alcohol-related ones. This may reflect a general breakdown in inhibitory control.

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A related meta-analysis found stimulating the prefrontal cortex with non-invasive brain techniques like TMS or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can reduce cravings for opioids, methamphetamine, and nicotine by enhancing the inhibitory control system. Researchers are working on fMRI neurofeedback training that potentially will offer new tools for treating addiction, trauma, and anxiety disorders.

Helen Mayberg’s groundbreaking work on deep brain stimulation (DBS) revealed emotional disturbances—especially depression—can severely impede the ability to adapt or make decisions. Her research focuses on Area 25. This deep brain structure controls emotion, memory, stress, and motivation.

Mayberg found people with treatment-resistant depression often show overactivity in Area 25, seemingly “locking” the brain into negative emotional states. This hyperactive loop interferes with motivation and decision-making, creating an emotional inertia, or a psychological stuck-ness.

Her team modulated a brain network using DBS to target the white matter pathways around Area 25. The goal wasn’t to silence Area 25 but to restore healthy communication between emotion-processing centers (like the amygdala and hippocampus) and control centers (like the prefrontal cortex). Although Mayberg’s work focuses on depression and Badke D’Andrea’s study centers on decision-making/action, both models emphasize emotions and behavior are tightly interwoven, and specific brain circuits regulate how individuals evaluate their internal state, make decisions, and adjust behavior.

Area 25 may be a sort of emotional filter. When overactive, it may bias decision-making toward pessimism, threat, or loss. In depression, this could explain why addicts feel trapped/unable to change—even when they know what they need to do. If this system is biased toward negative expectations, it can block adaptive behaviors and reduce learning from feedback. Behavioral flexibility, including the ability to suppress harmful thoughts or cravings, depends on decision-making processes and how internal emotional states are evaluated and integrated into action plans.

Summary

The brain can activate a domain-general inhibitory system, based in the right lateral prefrontal cortex, and acting like a mental brake. This system can halt actions (like reaching for a drug), thoughts (such as imagining drug use), and suppress memories (like recalling a euphoric moment from past drug use). The action mode network, with its subnetworks, provides cognitive architecture for resisting temptation, evaluating outcomes, and updating/changing behavior. As well, dysfunction in these circuits increases relapse risks. Genes, trauma, or drug-induced inhibitory control deficits also could be significant risk factors for transitioning from experimental drug use into substance use disorders.

The emerging science shows resisting drug use isn’t just a matter of willpower. Instead, it’s based on the health of specific brain networks. These networks can be supported and strengthened through A.A., N.A., meditation, CBT, non-invasive brain stimulation, mindfulness, memory-suppression techniques, medications, or neurosurgical interventions.

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