How the stress chemical CRF changes brain circuits tied to alcohol use
4/8: INIA Stress and Chronic Alcohol Interactions: Role of corticotropin-releasing factor in cortico- and thalamo-striatal pathways in regulating alcohol-stress interactions
Researchers are looking at whether the stress signal corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in specific brain pathways makes people with alcohol use disorder more likely to drink after stress.
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 ID | NIH-11296831 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project studies how stress and alcohol interact in brain circuits that control reward, decision-making, and negative mood. Scientists will use rodent models to manipulate CRF signaling in connections from the prefrontal cortex and thalamus to the nucleus accumbens and then measure changes in alcohol-related behavior. The work combines behavioral tests with circuit-level approaches to see which pathways drive stress-triggered drinking and negative affect. Findings aim to reveal molecular and cellular changes that could point to new treatment targets.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research is most relevant to people with alcohol use disorder, particularly those who experience relapse or increased drinking when stressed or who have anxiety or depression during abstinence.
Not a fit: People without alcohol use disorder or whose drinking is not linked to stress-related triggers are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could point to specific brain pathways and molecules to target for new treatments that reduce stress-driven relapse in alcohol use disorder.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies have linked CRF signaling to stress-induced drinking, but this project aims to map the specific cortico- and thalamo-striatal circuits involved, which is more novel.
Where this research is happening
Charleston, United States
- Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rinker, Jennifer Anne — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Rinker, Jennifer Anne
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.