How drinking changes brain acetate and stress
Drinking, Brain Acetate, and Stress
This project looks at how alcohol-related acetate in the brain connects with stress hormones, drinking behavior, and brain structure in people who drink at different levels.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11319766 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would come to Yale for brain imaging that maps how your brain uses acetate after a safe dose of labeled (deuterated) acetate. The team will use Deuterium Metabolic Imaging (DMI) to measure regional acetate oxidation and will collect saliva or blood cortisol and questionnaires about stress and drinking. They will compare people with occasional heavy drinking, frequent intermittent drinking, and alcohol dependence, and relate acetate use to regional brain volumes. The goal is to see whether long-term high acetate exposure or repeated spikes change brain metabolism, stress markers, or brain structure.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who drink alcohol, especially those who are heavy intermittent drinkers or meet criteria for alcohol dependence, as well as comparison participants with lower drinking levels, would be the main candidates.
Not a fit: People who do not drink alcohol or whose health concerns are unrelated to alcohol use or brain metabolism are unlikely to benefit from this research directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify metabolic brain markers that help explain how drinking affects stress systems and brain health and could point to new targets for intervention.
How similar studies have performed: Metabolic imaging and acetate work exist in limited settings, but whole-brain DMI with deuterated acetate is relatively new, and the team reports preliminary supportive data.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mason, Graeme F — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Mason, Graeme F
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.