Brain peptide signaling behind alcohol withdrawal anxiety
Neuropeptide-dependent parabrachial control of the BNST during alcohol abstinence-induced negative affect
This project looks at whether specific brain peptides and nerve pathways cause anxiety and negative feelings when people stop drinking alcohol.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kentucky NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lexington, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11137622 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use lab models to learn how quitting alcohol leads to a lasting negative mood and anxiety. They focus on a brain circuit from the parabrachial nucleus to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and two peptide messengers called CGRP and PACAP. The team will record cell activity, map circuit connections, and change peptide signaling to see how these actions alter anxiety-like behaviors and whether effects differ by sex. The laboratory findings are meant to point toward peptide targets that could be tested later in people to reduce withdrawal-related distress.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This grant is lab-based and does not enroll people; future clinical trials informed by this work would likely recruit adults with alcohol use disorder who experience withdrawal-related anxiety.
Not a fit: People not experiencing alcohol withdrawal, or whose symptoms are due to other medical or psychiatric causes, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify brain peptide targets that lead to new treatments to reduce anxiety and prevent relapse during alcohol withdrawal.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal research has implicated these circuits and peptides in stress and alcohol-related behaviors, but treatments targeting them in people have not yet been proven effective.
Where this research is happening
Lexington, United States
- University of Kentucky — Lexington, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jaramillo, Anel Ariana — University of Kentucky
- Study coordinator: Jaramillo, Anel Ariana
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.