Exploring brain circuits linked to alcohol use disorder in mice
Official title: Reverse translation of human brain imaging data in mouse models of AUD
Funded at Vanderbilt University · NIH-11395413 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at brain pathways tied to withdrawal-related negative feelings in people with alcohol use disorder by studying similar circuits in male and female mice and seeing whether blocking specific endocannabinoid signals helps.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | March 15, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $357,598 |
| NIH project number | 5P60AA031124-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395413 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with alcohol use disorder—especially those experiencing withdrawal-related negative mood during abstinence—are the population whose brain changes this research aims to model.
✕Less likely to help
People without alcohol use disorder or whose symptoms are unrelated to the studied brain circuits are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers use brain scans from people with alcohol use disorder to guide experiments in mice, focusing on brain pathways that differ between men and women during abstinence. In female mice they will study the insula-to-BNST circuit to see if stronger signaling relates to negative mood after stopping drinking and will remove CB1 receptors or the 2-AG-producing enzyme to observe effects on behavior. In male mice they will probe a ventral hippocampal–BNST–hypothalamic pathway using an operant alcohol-seeking model. The team will also map incoming connections with tracing techniques to inform future human imaging and treatment efforts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to endocannabinoid-related targets for treatments that reduce negative mood and lower relapse risk during abstinence from alcohol.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies have linked endocannabinoid signaling to alcohol-related behaviors, but using human imaging to guide circuit-specific genetic deletions at the insula–BNST synapse is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Winder, Danny G. — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Winder, Danny G.
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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.