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 Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that directly affects the
brain. Cocaine was labeled the drug of the 1980s and 1990s because of its extensive Cocaine abuse and
addiction continue to plague our Nation. Today, about one in six Americans (15 percent in 2007) has tried
cocaine by the age of 30, and 7 percent have tried it by their senior year of high school.
But recent discoveries about the inner workings of the brain and the damaging effects of cocaine
offer us unprecedented opportunities for addressing this persistent public health problem. Genetic studies are
providing critical information about the hereditary influences on the risk of addiction to psychoactive substances,
including cocaine.
Moreover, sophisticated imaging technologies have allowed scientists to visualize the brain changes
that result from chronic drug exposure or that happen when an addicted person is exposed to drug associated “cues”
that can trigger craving and lead to relapse. By mapping the genetic factors and brain regions responsible for the
multiple effects of cocaine, these new technologies can help us identify new targets for treating cocaine
addiction.
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