How alcohol and stress change brain receptors linked to mood and relapse
Alcohol/Stress Effects on Kappa Opioid Receptors in the Amygdala and Accumbens
This research tests whether targeting kappa opioid receptors can reduce anxiety and the risk of relapse after stress or alcohol withdrawal for people with alcohol use disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11296906 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, this work uses animal models to learn how chronic alcohol and stress change kappa opioid receptors in brain areas that control mood and reward. Scientists expose mice (and reference long-term findings in monkeys) to repeated alcohol cycles and stress, then measure receptor activity, dopamine signaling, and behaviors like anxiety and excessive drinking. They also give drugs that block kappa opioid receptors to see if these drugs reverse the brain changes and reduce anxiety-like behaviors and withdrawal-driven drinking. The goal is to guide new treatments that could help people with alcohol use disorder manage withdrawal symptoms and avoid relapse.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with alcohol use disorder who experience withdrawal symptoms and stress-related cravings or relapse.
Not a fit: People without alcohol use disorder, or whose drinking is not driven by stress or negative affect, may not directly benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new drugs that reduce withdrawal-related anxiety and lower relapse risk in people with alcohol use disorder.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies in mice and long-term work in monkeys showed KOR blockade reduced anxiety-like behaviors and withdrawal drinking, but effectiveness in people has not yet been proven.
Where this research is happening
Winston-Salem, United States
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences — Winston-Salem, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jones, Sara Raulerson — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Jones, Sara Raulerson
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.