The challenge confronting the team is to relate dynamic changes in regional brain activity to subjective responses measured at the same time. In addition, they are studying the brains of crack users while these patients are craving cocaine. This should lead to a greater understanding of the psychobiological processes that cause compulsive use and also relapse. MRI changes due to cocaine injection, caused by cocaine's direct effects on blood vessels in the brain and neuronal activity. Reading from top, left to right, images begin with the top of the skull and progress downward to the base of the skull.
Blue areas indicate the mildest effect and yellow the most intense.