An fMRI study of the interaction of stress and cocaine cues on cocaine craving in cocaine-dependent men.

Acute stress is associated with relapse in cocaine addiction, possibly through the activation of craving-related neural circuitry. Neural responses to cocaine cues and acute stress were investigated in an fMRI study. Ten male participants mentally re-enacted personalized scripts about cocaine use and a neutral experience both with and without a stressor present (anticipation of electrical shock). Interaction analysis between script type and stress condition revealed greater activation of the posterior cingulate cortex and of the parietal lobe during the cocaine script in the presence of the stressor. These data suggest that stress may precipitate relapse in cocaine addiction by activating brain areas that mediate reward processing and the attentional and mnemonic bias for drug use reminders.