How the brain's decision center influences heroin and alcohol use
Prefrontal mechanisms underlying polydrug heroin and alcohol use
This project looks at how prefrontal brain circuits involved in decision-making drive combined heroin and alcohol use, to find targets that might reduce craving and relapse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143078 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study brain circuits in the prefrontal cortex that help control drug seeking, focusing on connections from the infralimbic cortex to the nucleus accumbens and on specific receptors (mu opioid and 5-HT2A). They will use laboratory models that combine heroin and alcohol exposure to mimic polydrug use and measure changes in brain cells and behavior related to craving and relapse. The team will manipulate those receptors and circuit activity to see which changes reduce drug-seeking behaviors. Findings are intended to reveal biological mechanisms that could guide new treatments for people who use both heroin and alcohol.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with opioid use disorder who also use or have a history of using alcohol would be the most relevant group for future clinical translation from this work.
Not a fit: People without opioid or alcohol use problems, or whose addictions are driven by different brain systems, are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify brain targets that lead to new treatments to reduce relapse and harmful co-use of heroin and alcohol.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies show prefrontal circuits and opioid receptors influence heroin seeking, but combining heroin and alcohol and targeting 5-HT2A involvement is a more novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peters, Jamie — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Peters, Jamie
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.