Cocaine IVSA

The Cocaine Intravenous Self Administration (IVSA) Project is a focal point of the CSNA. As the mouse assay widely accepted to be the most construct-valid for addiction, IVSA characterizes the essential endpoints that all other CSNA projects seek to predict. In performing this central function, we will collaborate extensively with the Impulsivity and Acute Drug Response projects and research support cores to identify genetic correlations within and between these predisposing and addiction-related traits.

The Cocaine IVSA Project will utilize the Collaborative Cross mouse population to measure novelty-related traits and multiple addiction-related traits using cocaine IVSA paradigms. These data will be integrated with that of the other projects in a single, study-wide analysis of genetic correlations across all addiction-related behaviors analyzed by the CSNA, to determine the distinct and shared mechanisms of cocaine addiction as well as identify gene loci that underlie addiction risk.