How dopamine changes make cocaine addiction and learning harder
Official title: Mechanisms of dopaminergic dysfunction in substance use disorder
Funded at Vanderbilt University · NIH-11144311 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work explores how altered dopamine signals in the brain may make it harder for people with cocaine use disorder to learn new things and stop drug-seeking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $485,019 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA052317-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11144311 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with current or past cocaine use disorder who want to support research or be considered for future trials based on these findings.
✕Less likely to help
Because this is mainly basic laboratory research using animal models, participants should not expect immediate clinical benefit.
What this research studies
The team studies dopamine signaling in the brain area called the nucleus accumbens to see how it responds to both rewards and unpleasant events. Most experiments measure real-time dopamine release and brain activity using animal models that mimic cocaine exposure and learning tasks. They will test whether changes in dopamine that mark how "important" a stimulus is (salience) slow learning of new information while leaving old drug-seeking behaviors intact. Results are intended to explain why people with cocaine use disorder struggle to shift away from drug cues and to point toward targets for future human treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatment targets that help people with cocaine addiction relearn healthier behaviors and reduce relapse.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal and brain imaging studies link dopamine to learning and reward, but applying a salience-focused view to cocaine addiction is a relatively new direction.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Calipari, Erin — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Calipari, Erin
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.