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New Research by SARIC Researcher Prof Eisuke Koya:

Medial prefrontal cortical neurotransmitters reactive to relapse-promoting and relapse-suppressing cues in male rats trained to self-administer cocaine or alcohol 

Authors: Hermina Nedelescu, Cristina Miliano, Grant E Wagner, Ayla M Carroll, Genna L De Ness, Tony M Kerr, Richard Nana Abankwah Owusu Mensah, Eisuke Koya, Ann M Gregus, Friedbert Weiss, Matthew W Buczynski, Nobuyoshi Suto

Prof Eisuke Koya, a member of the Sussex Addiction Research and Intervention Centre (SARIC) at the University of Sussex, has contributed to new research shedding light on why people addicted to cocaine or alcohol may relapse when they encounter certain cues, like places or situations linked to past drug use.

In the study, researchers trained rats to self-administer cocaine or alcohol, then exposed them to cues that either signalled drug availability or signalled that no drug would be available. They found that different brain chemicals in specific parts of the frontal cortex were activated depending on the type of cue and whether the drug was cocaine or alcohol. This suggests that relapse and relapse prevention for different drugs rely on distinct brain processes, which could eventually inform more targeted treatments.

Further information: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772392525000537