How pain and avoiding discomfort can drive heavy drinking
Avoidance learning and pain circuit dysfunction in alcohol use disorders
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · YALE UNIVERSITY · NIH-11187205
Researchers will use brain scans and learning tasks in adults with alcohol use disorder to learn how pain and avoidance shape drinking behavior.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | YALE UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (NEW HAVEN, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11187205 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you have alcohol use disorder and are seeking treatment, you might be invited to come to Yale for a brain scan while you do a computer task that mixes small painful and rewarding outcomes. During the session the team will record your brain activity with fMRI, measure your physical and emotional responses to pain, and track how you learn to avoid or seek outcomes. They will compare results from treatment-seeking patients with social drinkers and combine the brain data with clinical and behavioral measures. The goal is to find patterns that link pain sensitivity and impaired avoidance learning with continued or relapsing drinking.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults (21+) who are seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder and can safely undergo MRI scanning.
Not a fit: People who are not drinking, are under 21, or cannot have an MRI (for example due to metal implants or severe claustrophobia) may not be eligible or benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could identify brain and behavioral markers that help predict relapse and point to new ways to reduce pain-driven drinking.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked pain, anxiety-relief drinking, and brain-circuit changes in AUD, but combining fMRI with a pain-based avoidance learning task is relatively new and not yet proven to predict relapse.
Where this research is happening
NEW HAVEN, UNITED STATES
- YALE UNIVERSITY — NEW HAVEN, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: LE, THANG MANH — YALE UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: LE, THANG MANH
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.