Brain circuits that drive alcohol relapse
Neurocircuitry Component - Zorrilla
This project looks at whether correcting imbalances in specific brain circuits and using drugs that target NOP and KOR receptors could help people with alcohol use disorder avoid stress-triggered relapse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Scripps Research Institute, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11362024 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective as someone affected by alcohol use disorder, researchers are studying how long-lasting negative emotions and poor impulse control after quitting may come from an imbalance between stress and anti-stress systems in a part of the frontal brain that controls the amygdala. They use animal models to turn that pathway up or down with targeted tools and to test drugs that act on nociceptin (NOP) and kappa opioid (KOR) systems. The team measures relapse-like drinking, stress-induced alcohol seeking, and irritability after dependence to see which manipulations reduce those problems. Their goal is to identify treatments that could later be tried in people recovering from alcohol dependence.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with alcohol use disorder, especially those experiencing protracted abstinence with stress-triggered cravings, irritability, or poor control over drinking, would be the eventual candidates for treatments developed from this work.
Not a fit: People without alcohol use disorder or those whose relapse is driven mainly by social or non-stress factors may not directly benefit from these specific findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new medication and circuit-based approaches to reduce stress-driven relapse and negative emotional symptoms in people recovering from alcohol use disorder.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies have implicated prefrontal–amygdala circuits and NOP/KOR systems in relapse and negative affect, but combining targeted circuit manipulations with short-acting KOR antagonists is a relatively new and translational approach.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Scripps Research Institute, the — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zorrilla, Eric P — Scripps Research Institute, the
- Study coordinator: Zorrilla, Eric P
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 below.