Brain circuit changes linked to alcohol relapse
Official title: Striatal ensemble plasticity in alcohol use disorder
Funded at Texas A&m University Health Science Ctr · NIH-11336789 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at whether changes in small groups of brain cells in a region called the dorsomedial striatum drive relapse and whether extinction-like training can reduce alcohol seeking in people with alcohol use disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m University Health Science Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $452,169 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030293-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11336789 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with alcohol use disorder, especially those in early recovery or worried about relapse, would be the eventual candidates for interventions stemming from this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without alcohol problems or whose relapse is driven mainly by social, medical, or non-brain-circuit factors may not directly benefit from this basic neuroscience work.
What this research studies
If you have alcohol use disorder, this project studies how small groups of brain cells in the dorsomedial striatum change after alcohol exposure and during recovery. Using animal models, researchers will record and manipulate two types of neurons (direct- and indirect-pathway medium spiny neurons) to see which groups drive alcohol seeking and relapse. They will compare extinction training (where alcohol is withheld during retraining) to simple abstinence to see how each changes brain circuits that suppress drinking. The team aims to pinpoint synaptic changes in the active neuronal ensembles that could become targets for future treatments to prevent relapse.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could point to specific brain-cell targets or training strategies that lead to new ways to reduce relapse after treatment for alcohol use disorder.
How similar studies have gone: Animal research has repeatedly shown drug-induced synaptic changes in the striatum, but studying specific neuronal ensembles and pathway-specific plasticity for alcohol relapse is a newer, actively developing approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas A&m University Health Science Ctr
College Station, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Jun — Texas A&m University Health Science Ctr
- Study coordinator: Wang, Jun
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.