How alcohol changes brain cells and circuits linked to relapse
CNS Effects of Alcohol: Cellular Neurobiology
Researchers are exploring how altered brain cell signaling and stress-related molecules make people who have stopped drinking more likely to relapse, with the goal of guiding new treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Scripps Research Institute, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11361993 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research center studies how the prefrontal cortex and central amygdala interact to increase stress-driven relapse during long-term abstinence. Scientists use molecular, neuroproteomic, cellular, circuit-mapping, and behavioral methods, largely in laboratory models, to identify key brain signaling changes in glutamate, GABA, and stress peptides. They also test new drug-like compounds that target those molecules to see if they reduce stress-triggered alcohol seeking in translational models. Findings aim to point toward targets that could eventually be tested in people at risk of relapse.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with a history of alcohol use disorder who are in early or protracted abstinence and who experience stress-triggered cravings or relapse risk would be the most relevant candidates for future trials informed by this work.
Not a fit: People without alcohol use problems or whose relapse is driven mainly by non-stress factors (for example, social cues) may not benefit directly from these specific findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new medications or strategies that reduce stress-triggered relapse and excessive drinking during prolonged abstinence.
How similar studies have performed: Related preclinical studies have reduced stress-driven drinking in animal models, but translating those successes into effective human treatments has been difficult so far.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Scripps Research Institute, the — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roberto, Marisa — Scripps Research Institute, the
- Study coordinator: Roberto, Marisa
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.