Corticolimbic brain circuits and stress coping linked to alcohol use
Official title: Corticolimbic circuitry in adaptive stress coping behavior and subsequent alcohol drinking
Funded at University of New Mexico · NIH-11391074 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how brain circuits that control stress responses affect drinking behavior, with a focus on differences between males and females.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of New Mexico NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albuquerque, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $239,579 |
| NIH project number | 5R00AA029730-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11391074 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with PTSD-like stress responses or at-risk populations where stress coping deficits contribute to alcohol misuse; future trials would involve human translation.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without stress-related risk factors or alcohol misuse may not directly benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how stress coping problems in animals relate to later alcohol drinking, using the prelimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala as a key pathway. They will test whether boosting endocannabinoid signaling can fix maladaptive coping and reduce increased alcohol self-administration after stress. The team will use techniques like chemogenetics, electrophysiology, and optogenetics to directly manipulate the PrL→BLA circuit and observe effects on stress coping and drinking. The study uses an established animal model of stress (predator odor) to mimic human PTSD-related stress responses and explore sex differences. Findings could illuminate brain targets for reducing stress-related alcohol abuse in humans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify brain circuit targets and strategies for preventing alcohol misuse after traumatic stress.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies show that modulating corticolimbic circuits can influence stress coping and drinking; this study extends to sex differences and endocannabinoid signaling.
Where this research is happening
-
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ornelas, Laura C. — University of New Mexico
- Study coordinator: Ornelas, Laura C.
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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.