MR MICROSCOPY OF A RAT PRENATAL COCAINE EXPOSURE MODEL

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. We are explorng the developmental effects of prenatal cocaine exposure in a rat model. Little data actually exist regarding the effects of cocaine during development, thus the need for such studies are great. Here at UNC, we are doing high-resolution DTI scans, but the facilities here are not equipped to do ultra-high resolution MR microscopy. Thus, we have discussed with Al Johnson the potential to explore this aim at Duke. Our DTI studies are currently performed in rat mothers treated with cocaine on postpartum day 5, and in the male and female offspring of these mothers on postnatal days 5 and 14, roughly trnaslational to the end of the third trimester and approximately 1 week old in human development. If differences in brain structure are found at these time points, we are interested in exploring later time points to determine the long term developmental effects of prenatal cocaine exposure.