How a thalamus-to-reward-center brain circuit may drive opioid craving and relapse
Official title: Mapping the Functional and Anatomical Pathways from the Anterior and Posterior Paraventricular Nucleus of the Thalamus to the Nucleus Accumbens: Implications for Opioid Use
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11454843 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how specific brain connections between the thalamus and the brain's reward center may drive cravings and relapse during opioid withdrawal for people recovering from opioid use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R00DA060895-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11454843 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is most relevant to people with opioid use disorder, especially those in early or prolonged abstinence who are concerned about withdrawal and relapse.
✕Less likely to help
People without opioid use disorder or those not seeking abstinence are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical project.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers will use animal models to map connections from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus to the nucleus accumbens and measure how those pathways change after stopping opioids. They will record nerve-cell activity and manipulate those pathways to see how that changes withdrawal-related behavior and relapse risk. The team will compare early versus prolonged abstinence to find timing-related changes in circuit function. Findings are meant to point toward brain mechanisms that could be targeted to reduce craving and relapse.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify brain circuit targets that lead to new treatments to reduce cravings and prevent relapse in people with opioid use disorder.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies have implicated the paraventricular thalamus–nucleus accumbens pathway in negative affect and relapse, but translating these findings into human treatments remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alonso Caraballo, Yanaira — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Alonso Caraballo, Yanaira
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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.