The Neuroscience Branch's three sections conduct research into the effects of drugs on the brain. Some researchers study receptors, the molecular sites where drugs bind, to determine the receptors' role in drug-induced euphoria and drug craving. Other scientists study and use brain scans to show how drugs influence the brains of living animals and human volunteers. The Molecular Pharmacology Section, headed by Dr. Michael J. Kuhar, conducts advanced molecular studies of the actions of drugs, particularly cocaine. Dr. Kuhar, who is also chief of the Neuroscience Branch, says that DIR scientists represent one of the world's leading research efforts in the development of medications and ligands, or binding partners, for receptors for cocaine and other drugs.
Scientists also develop techniques for conducting molecular biological studies of how cocaine works.
Their goal is to find substances that bear promise as potential cocaine blockers or medications. Many of these cocaine analogs are highly selective, both in discerning specific brain binding sites and producing a variety of effects. The selectivity and varying effects of these analogs are keys to understanding and controlling how cocaine works. Dr. Jean Lud Cadet uses a laboratory instrument to amplify DNA to help determine the effects of drugs on human memory and attention span. Through radioactive tagging and brain scans, the actions of various cocaine analogs in the brain are converted to images and then digitally recorded by computers.