Cocaine addiction (CA) is characterized by compulsive cocaine use despite adverse consequences. The profound loss of behavioral control is the hallmark of CA and contributes to the high risk of relapse. Despite continuous research efforts to disentangle the exact pathophysiology of CA in the last several decades, the exact mechanisms of cocaine’s addicting properties remains unknown and currently there are no FDA approved pharmacological treatments available. Studies have estimated that approximately two thirds of an individual’s risk for developing cocaine dependence is heritable [13,14], thus, identifying genetic susceptibility factors for CA may provide important new insights into its pathophysiology and eventually may lead to effective therapies.
