Center developing brain-based treatments for alcohol use and addiction
Center for the Translational Neuroscience of Alcoholism
This project is trying a medication that targets the brain receptor mGluR5 to reduce heavy drinking and fix brain-circuit problems linked to alcoholism.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11127631 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would hear about work that combines brain imaging, genetics, molecular neuroscience, and medication testing to find better treatments for heavy drinking. The center studies drugs that block mGluR5 in animals to see if they normalize glutamate signaling and reduce both goal-directed and habitual drinking. It also carries out studies in heavy-drinking people that use brain scans and medication to measure drinking and brain changes. The center funds pilot projects to bring new ideas forward and coordinates teams to move promising findings toward clinical use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who drink heavily or have alcohol use disorder and who meet safety criteria for taking experimental brain-active medication and undergoing brain imaging.
Not a fit: Light drinkers, people not seeking treatment, pregnant individuals, or anyone unable to take experimental brain drugs or undergo scans are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a new kind of medication that reduces heavy drinking by correcting brain-circuit dysfunction.
How similar studies have performed: Similar approaches with mGluR5 blockers have shown promising results in animals, but human testing of this mechanism is still limited.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Krystal, John H. — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Krystal, John H.
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.