How early life pain and environment affect substance misuse risk
Official title: Early life pain and its modulation by socioenvironmental factors: Implications for substance misuse
Funded at Georgia State University · NIH-10990368 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how pain experienced by premature babies in the NICU, along with factors like being separated from caregivers and having limited resources, can affect their behavior and risk of substance use later in life, using both rat models and human brain imaging to better understand these connections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgia State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $368,315 |
| NIH project number | 1R34DA061483-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10990368 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who were born prematurely and spent time in a NICU, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who were not born prematurely or did not experience significant pain or separation in early life may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the impact of early life pain experienced by premature infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) and how socioenvironmental factors, such as caregiver separation and resource scarcity, influence long-term behavior and the risk of substance misuse. By developing a rat model that simulates the NICU experience, the study aims to explore the mechanisms through which these early adverse experiences affect brain development and motivated behavior. The research will also incorporate human imaging data to enhance the relevance of findings across species, ultimately aiming to improve understanding of the relationship between early pain and later substance use disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved interventions for preventing substance misuse in individuals who experienced early life pain.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that early adverse experiences can significantly impact later behavior, suggesting that this approach may yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Georgia State University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bangasser, Debra a — Georgia State University
- Study coordinator: Bangasser, Debra a
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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.