Cocaine dependence (CD), which occurs commonly in the United States, is characterized by compulsive cocaine seeking and continued cocaine use despite health problems. Cocaine-dependent individuals are at high risk of relapse to heavy cocaine use even after a period of abstinence. Limited efficacy of prevention and treatment efforts for CD are attributable in part to the unclear etiology of CD. Genetic epidemiological studies support a genetic contribution to the risk for CD [discussed in (Gelernter et al 2005)]. However, to date, few genetic variants have been confirmed as contributing to this vulnerability.
