Project Summary

Kelsey C. Martin, M.D., Ph.D. (Independent Investigator 2007) of the University of California, Los Angeles, proceeds from the notion that drug addiction is a form of long-term memory, in which the addict associates drug exposure with strong memories mediated by reward centers in the brain. The possibility that drug-related memories can be interrupted has clear therapeutic potential for the treatment of relapse. The project seeks to develop a simple cell culture system to study reconsolidation, with the aim of delineating the molecular mechanisms whereby established memories become labile during reconsolidation. As an experimental model system, sensory and motor neurons from the sea slug Aplysia californica will be used.

Program Area: ADDICTION/SUBSTANCE-RELATED DISORDERS

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