# Neural mechanisms regulating cocaine consumption

> **NIH NIH R37** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $516,882

## Abstract

Abstract
Cocaine abuse remains a major burden on public health with significant numbers of overdose deaths
each year. The proposed work characterizes a neural circuit that underlies the increased drug
consumption that takes place by some individuals following chronic drug use. This application leverages
previous work demonstrating that corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), dynorphin and dopamine
signaling can individually impact drug intake and that each of these systems changes with chronic
cocaine use. Specifically, the proposed experiments ask how these three neuromodulatory systems
interact with each other in the regulation drug consumption. The working hypothesis is that escalation
of drug intake following chronic drug use, comes about through a serial pathway where elevated CRF
levels causes an increase in dynorphin which consequently reduces dopamine release, producing
escalation. However, the experiments are designed to systematically test the functional connections
between each of these nodes in the regulation of cocaine intake and, in doing so, discern between eight
competing models of the interactions. Therefore, regardless, of whether the results match the working
hypothesis or not, the experiments will yield new insight into the interactions between these systems.
This information will inform potential treatment targets for moderating intake in substance abusers and
thereby reducing harm.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10215470
- **Project number:** 5R37DA051686-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Paul E. M. Phillips
- **Activity code:** R37 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $516,882
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-15 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10215470

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10215470, Neural mechanisms regulating cocaine consumption (5R37DA051686-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10215470. Licensed CC0.

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