How threat-sensitive brain circuits relate to anxiety-driven drinking in adults
Official title: Using Computational Neuroimaging and Extended Smartphone Assessment to Understand the Pathways Linking Threat-Related Brain Circuits to Alcohol Misuse Across Adulthood
Funded at Univ of Maryland, College Park · NIH-11332591 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will use brain scans and smartphone monitoring to learn how anxiety from uncertain threats may lead adults 21 and older to drink more.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project start | March 10, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $615,396 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030042-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11332591 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults aged 21 and older who drink alcohol and experience anxiety or use alcohol to cope with anxious feelings.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, lifelong non-drinkers, or those whose alcohol problems are unrelated to anxiety or threat sensitivity are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
You would have brain imaging and extended smartphone-based monitoring so researchers can link real-world anxiety and drinking behavior with activity in specific brain circuits. The team combines computational neuroimaging (including subcortical regions like the amygdala) with frequent phone-based surveys and behavioral data to capture reactions to uncertain threat and patterns of alcohol use. They will distinguish different kinds of uncertainty (risk versus ambiguity) to see which best explains drinking for relief. The approach mixes lab-based MRI visits with continuous, real-world smartphone assessments to build a detailed picture across adulthood.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to more targeted ways to prevent or treat anxiety-driven alcohol misuse by focusing on specific brain circuits and real-world triggers.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies and smaller human imaging studies suggest threat-related brain circuits matter for anxiety and addiction, but this larger, combined brain-sensor approach is relatively novel in people.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Maryland, College Park
College Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shackman, Alexander Joseph — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Shackman, Alexander Joseph
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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.