How trauma affects men’s and women’s brains around alcohol craving and drinking
Sex differences in reward neurocircuitry underlying alcohol craving and consumption in trauma-exposed individuals
This project looks at how past trauma changes brain reward systems linked to alcohol craving and drinking in women and racial/ethnic minority groups using brain scans and phone-based reports.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of New Mexico NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albuquerque, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11222768 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will take brain images to study reward-related circuits and how they respond in people with trauma histories. You would also use a smartphone app to report cravings, mood, and drinking events over time (ecological momentary assessment). The team will compare patterns between men and women and focus on women and racial/ethnic minority participants to understand unique vulnerabilities. The goal is to link brain measures with real-world craving and drinking behavior.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who have experienced trauma and who report alcohol craving or drinking, especially women and people from racial/ethnic minority groups, would be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without a history of trauma, those who do not drink or experience alcohol craving, and likely minors would not be eligible or likely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could help create more targeted prevention and treatment approaches for trauma-related alcohol problems that account for sex and racial/ethnic differences.
How similar studies have performed: Previous brain-imaging and smartphone-based studies have provided useful insights into craving and drinking, but combining these approaches to focus on sex and trauma effects in minority groups is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Albuquerque, United States
- University of New Mexico — Albuquerque, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hinojosa, Cecilia a — University of New Mexico
- Study coordinator: Hinojosa, Cecilia a
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.