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SUMMARY:Endophenotypes for Drug Addiction - Dr Karen Ersche\, Senior Resea
 rch Associate\, University of Cambridge
DTSTART:20120308T123000Z
DTEND:20120308T133000Z
UID:TALK35772@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:26852
DESCRIPTION:According to the latest European drug report\, levels of cocai
 ne use in England and Wales are now the highest in Europe. Although cocain
 e is a highly addictive drug\, not everybody who uses cocaine becomes addi
 cted to it. Survey data suggest that about 15% of people who try cocaine w
 ill become dependent on it within 10 years of their first use. The likelih
 ood of dependence is\, however\, increased for people who have a family hi
 story of drug or alcohol dependence. In other words\, there \nseems to be 
 a genetic risk for addiction but we currently know very little about how t
 his risk is inherited.\n\nWe do however know that prolonged abuse of cocai
 ne is associated with widespread deficits in neuropsychological function. 
 Deficits are most pronounced in executive domains\, which are subserved by
  the same brain circuitries that are associated with cocaine addiction. It
  is conceivable that malfunction of these brain circuitries has predated d
 rug-taking\, and presumably has facilitated the drug-induced neuroplastici
 ty. The cognitive status of drug users' unaffected siblings could shed on 
 light on the question as to whether the cognitive deficits that we see in 
 the drug users are inherited and represent a vulnerability \nmarker for dr
 ug addiction.\n
LOCATION:Seminar Room\, Herchel Smith Building
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