Project Overview

Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant drug. Approximately 10% of Canadians aged 20-24 report current cocaine use. Demand for the drug is growing and rates of cocaine use, across age groups, are rising nationwide. Cocaine addiction is a significant public health concern. It is associated with elevated rates of morbidity leading to severe medical (e.g., cardiovascular), psychosocial (e.g., violence) and psychiatric (e.g., psychosis) consequences. After alcohol, cocaine use is responsible for the highest costs to the criminal justice system of any substance in Canada. Yet, there are no approved medications to help people quit cocaine and remain abstinent for the long-term. A better understanding of how cocaine use affects the brain can help scientists develop new medications to treat this addiction more effectively.

The endocannabinoid system is an important modulatory network in the brain and is typically known because cannabis exerts its effects on this system. Less well known is that cocaine also interacts with the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system consists of a naturally circulating endocannabinoid called anandamide which is broken down by the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). FAAH is important because it keeps anandamide levels balanced and disturbances in anandamide levels have been reported in several psychiatric disorders. Studies in animals suggest that FAAH dysregulation may be linked to addictive-like behaviours associated with cocaine use. However, no study has investigated FAAH levels in humans who are addicted to cocaine. Therefore, this neuroimaging study aims to determine, for the first time, whether FAAH levels in the brain differ between individuals addicted to cocaine and healthy volunteers. Findings from this study will help discover if FAAH dysregulation is involved in cocaine addiction. If confirmed, then this would inform scientists that medications that regulate FAAH may help successfully treat people with cocaine addiction.

Principal Investigator

Rachel Rabin , McGill University