How stress-related brain systems change alcohol drinking and relapse
Official title: 1/8: INIA Stress and Chronic Alcohol Interactions: Role of Dynorphin/KOR and Oxytocin Systems in Stress-Enhanced Alcohol Drinking, Relapse, and Impaired Behavioral Flexibility
Funded at Medical University of South Carolina · NIH-11306585 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research is testing whether two brain systems — the dynorphin/kappa opioid system and oxytocin — change how stress makes people with alcohol problems drink more and relapse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2003 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $453,000 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AA014095-24 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306585 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ultimately, adults with alcohol use disorder who find stress triggers heavier drinking or relapse would be the most likely candidates to benefit from treatments that come out of this work.
✕Less likely to help
Because the project is preclinical and conducted in mice, people currently seeking treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this grant.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, the team uses mouse models that combine repeated stress and cycles of alcohol exposure to mimic heavy drinking and relapse seen in people. They apply two stress types (forced swim and predator odor) and chronic intermittent ethanol exposure, then measure alcohol self-administration, relapse-like behavior, and problems with flexible decision-making. The researchers focus on dynorphin/kappa opioid (a pro-stress signal) and oxytocin (an anti-stress signal) within stress-related brain circuits such as the amygdala. Experiments include behavioral tests and brain-focused techniques to see how manipulating these systems changes stress-driven drinking.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatment targets to reduce stress-driven drinking and lower the chance of relapse.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies, including earlier work by this team, have shown that blocking KOR can reduce stress-enhanced drinking and that oxytocin can lower alcohol self-administration, so the project builds on promising preclinical results.
Where this research is happening
-
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Becker, Howard C. — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Becker, Howard C.
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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.