Dopamine signals in the frontal brain and persistent alcohol drinking
Official title: Mesocortical neuromodulation in punishment-resistant alcohol drinking
Funded at Vanderbilt University · NIH-11330292 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how dopamine signals in a decision-making part of the brain may drive heavy, punishment-resistant drinking to help people with alcohol use disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | June 25, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $393,097 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030115-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11330292 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with alcohol use disorder—especially those who continue drinking despite negative consequences—would be the eventual beneficiaries of work like this.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with mild or occasional drinking, those whose problems are driven mainly by other substances or medical issues, or anyone seeking an immediate treatment are unlikely to directly benefit from this preclinical work.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are using a new glowing sensor to watch dopamine release in the medial prefrontal cortex while animals take alcohol, to learn how those brain signals relate to drinking. They will record responses to different stimuli and track how dopamine patterns change as drinking starts and becomes repetitive. The team will also turn the mesocortical system up or down to see whether changing these signals alters alcohol-seeking and drinking behaviors. Although the experiments use mice, the goal is to reveal brain mechanisms that could guide future treatments for people with alcohol problems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to brain circuits or signals to target with new therapies that reduce compulsive alcohol use.
How similar studies have gone: Animal research has long linked dopamine to addiction, but using genetically encoded fluorescent dopamine sensors in the prefrontal cortex is a recent and relatively novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Siciliano, Cody — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Siciliano, Cody
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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.