Methamphetamine effects on the hippocampus (memory center)
Official title: Hippocampal Alteration in Methamphetamine Misuse
Funded at University of Nebraska Lincoln · NIH-11335644 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses advanced brain scans to look for small changes in the hippocampus of adults who use methamphetamine to help explain memory problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Lincoln NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lincoln, United States) |
| Project start | April 5, 2019 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $260,498 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM130461-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11335644 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 or older with current or prior methamphetamine use and concerns about memory would be the best fit for participation.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate addiction treatment, those under 21, or individuals with unstable medical or psychiatric conditions are unlikely to get direct clinical benefit from participating.
What this research studies
If you are an adult who uses or used methamphetamine, researchers would invite you to come to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for brain imaging and memory testing. They will use standard MRI plus magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to measure tiny structural and mechanical changes within different hippocampal subregions. The team will compare people with meth use to people without it and link imaging measures to memory performance. The goal is to better understand why memory problems happen with meth use and to identify sensitive imaging markers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help detect early brain changes tied to meth-related memory loss and guide future treatments or monitoring.
How similar studies have gone: Prior MRI volume studies in meth users have shown inconsistent results, and applying MRE to hippocampal subfields is a newer approach that remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Lincoln, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schwarb, Hillary — University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Study coordinator: Schwarb, Hillary
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Identify Unknowns with Long-Read Bioinformatics for Vet Diagnostic Labs
A hands-on training program using long-read sequencing data to help veterinary diagnostic labs improve pathogen detection and outbreak response.
-
Enhancing pathogen and AMR detection with a new sequencing instrument
A veterinary lab is getting a high-throughput sequencing machine to help detect drug-resistant bacteria and emerging pathogens in animals and food, improving public health readiness.
-
How childhood hardship and neighborhood features affect adult alcohol and tobacco misuse
This project looks at whether adults who experienced tough childhoods are more likely to misuse alcohol or tobacco later in life and whether where they live makes that risk higher or lower.
-
Nicotine's effect on drinking sweetened alcoholic drinks
This project looks at whether nicotine makes people drink more sweetened alcoholic drinks, especially among people who smoke or drink heavily.
-
MiRNA roles in age-related muscle loss and NMJ health
This project explores how small RNA molecules called miRNAs influence muscle aging and the neuromuscular junction in adults.
-
MG53 protein to protect aging muscles during disuse
A small research project will explore whether increasing MG53 protein can help prevent muscle loss during periods of inactivity in aging, with the goal of protecting muscle health.
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.