Brain Mechanisms in Young Adults

The goal of this study is to use \[C-11\]NPA and amphetamine (oral, 0.5 mg/kg) to measure striatal dopamine transmission in prenatal cocaine exposed subjects (PCE) and comparison subjects (COMP)

Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) has consistently been associated with behavioral deficits through childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood in our ongoing study (PRO15080516 - Effects of Prenatal Cocaine Use: 25-Year Follow-Up). Further, 21-year-olds with PCE in our study were twice as likely to have been arrested as non-exposed offspring, were more likely to be diagnosed with Conduct Disorder, had higher disinhibition scores, were significantly more likely to use alcohol and marijuana earlier, and to have earlier sexual intercourse. The effects of PCE on the developing nervous system may cause changes in brain function that underlie these behavioral outcomes. This study seeks to examine dopamine (DA) transmission in vivo, using positron emission tomography (PET) with \[C-11\]NPA, in striatal regions of interest in subjects who have a history of exposure to prenatal cocaine (PCE). We hypothesize that PCE is associated with increases in dopamine in the striatum relative to COMP. This may explain the impulsivity and high risk behaviors in PCE subjects