Development of near-infrared spectroscopy to study drug addiction

描述（由申请人提供）：我们建议通过确定近红外光谱（NIRS）定位与成瘾相关过程相关的血流模式的忠实性来推进近红外光谱（NIRS）技术的使用和解释。重要的是，这些NIRS信号将与成瘾的行为测量（例如，自我管理）。目前，使用功能磁共振（fMRI）的小型哺乳动物的研究是困难的，相对不切实际的大多数研究人员。我们 目标是提供一种“穷人”功能成像装置，其将以适度的成本获得，并且容易获得和容易实现。简单地说，我们的目的是快速增加我们关于动物血流变化的知识基础，这些知识可以很容易地转化为理解人类对药物相关信息的处理。在拟议的研究中，我们将使用多方面的方法，包括近红外光谱，MFI，静脉注射可卡因，以确定是否与近红外光谱局部评估是一个有用的替代功能磁共振成像，以确定血流的变化。我们将扩展近红外光谱方法的实用性，以自由移动的动物，积极自我管理可卡因。这种方法的意义和创新都与CEBRA相关，因为创新技术的发展可以快速推进我们对动物模型中血流变化的理解。拟议目标： * 具体目标1。建立功能磁共振成像和近红外光谱检测血流变化的相似性。 * 具体目标II：确定我们是否可以使用NIRS实时监测自由活动动物的神经元活动。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to advance the use and interpretation of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology by determining the faithfulness to which NIRS localizes patterns of blood flow relevant to addiction-related processes. Importantly, these NIRS signals will be simultaneously collected with behavioral measures of addiction (e.g., self-administration) in real-time. Currently, the use of functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) for the study of small mammals is difficult and relatively impractical for the majority of researchers. Our goal is to provide a "poor man's" functional imaging device that will be available for a modest cost and is readily accessible and easy to implement. Simply stated, our intent is to rapidly increase our knowledge base about blood flow changes in animals that could be readily translated to understanding human processing of drug-related information. In the proposed research, we will use a multi-faceted approach including NIRS, MFI, and intravenous self- administration of cocaine to determine whether localized assessment with NIRS is a useful alternative to fMRI to determine changes in blood flow. We will extend the utility of the NIRS approach to freely moving animals that are actively self-administering cocaine. Both the significance and innovation of this approach is relevant for the CEBRA due to the development of innovative technology to rapidly advance our understanding of blood flow change in animal models. Aims Proposed: * Specific Aim 1. To establish the similarities in blood flow changes detected by fMRI and NIRS. * Specific Aim II: To determine whether we can use NIRS to monitor neuronal activity in real-time in freely moving animals.