Restoring brain circuits that control reward and impulse control after cocaine use
Restoration and Further Assessment of the Actor-Critic Circuit and Connected Areas After Cocaine Self-Administration
The team is working on ways to restore brain circuits damaged by long-term cocaine use to help people make better decisions and control impulses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11292838 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use rat models where the animals self-administer cocaine and then perform reward-guided decision tasks while scientists record brain activity across areas involved in reward, habits, and attention. They change the timing and size of rewards to see how 'reward prediction' signals, action rules (habits), and prediction-error/attention signals are altered by cocaine exposure. The work focuses on regions such as the nucleus accumbens, anterior insula, and dorsal lateral striatum and tests approaches to restore circuit function after cocaine use. Results are intended to guide strategies that could later be tested in people recovering from cocaine addiction.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with a history of cocaine use disorder who are in or seeking recovery could be candidates for follow-up clinical work based on these findings.
Not a fit: People without cocaine use disorder or those whose substance problems stem from issues unrelated to the targeted brain circuits may not benefit from these specific approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that improve decision-making, reduce impulsive relapse, and support recovery from cocaine addiction.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies have mapped these brain signals and some preclinical interventions reduced relapse-like behaviors, but translating circuit-restoration methods to people is still largely untested.
Where this research is happening
College Park, United States
- Univ of Maryland, College Park — College Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roesch, Matthew R — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Roesch, Matthew R
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 below.