Striosome circuits and costly drug use
Official title: A2: Striosomal models of drug use and cost
Funded at University of Texas El Paso · NIH-11345947 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project from the University of Texas El Paso explores how brain circuitry related to cost and reward influences cocaine use, with the goal of better understanding why people might keep taking drugs even when it costs them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas El Paso NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (El Paso, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $568,388 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA058653-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345947 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with cocaine use disorder or those at risk, who could participate in future translational studies or related biomarker research.
✕Less likely to help
This study uses animal models and computational work; it does not involve direct patient treatment or ongoing clinical care.
What this research studies
This project tests a computer-aided brain model focused on the striosomes in the dorsomedial striatum to see how costs influence drug-taking behavior. Researchers will combine computational simulations with animal studies to study how brain states like stress and aging affect decisions about drug use. The aim is to map how the prelimbic-striosomal-substantia nigra pathway shapes craving and cost-benefit choices during self-administration tasks. The work could clarify why some individuals persist in drug use despite negative consequences and identify potential targets for intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new ideas for treatments that alter brain cost-reward processing to reduce costly drug-taking.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work supports the involvement of striosomal circuits in drug-related behaviors, but this project advances a cost-focused computational and experimental approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas El Paso
El Paso, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Friedman, Alexander — University of Texas El Paso
- Study coordinator: Friedman, Alexander
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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.