Neural Causes of Negative Feelings and Memory in Mice: Stopping Suicide Risks with Medication
Official title: Neurobiology of Negative Affect and Memories in Mice: Prophylaxis By Medication
Funded at New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC · NIH-11349217 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how feelings of hopelessness affect memory in a mouse model and whether a medication can correct those memory changes to reduce suicide risk indicators.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $325,664 |
| NIH project number | 1P50MH139573-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11349217 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with mood disorders or a history of hopelessness and suicidal ideation who may benefit from future translation of these findings.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals or those without mood-related hopelessness are unlikely to benefit from this basic animal research.
What this research studies
Researchers will use mice to study how helplessness alters memory and brain activity down to the cellular level, with special tools that tag active brain cells during memory formation. They will test whether the drug (R,S)-ketamine can reverse these memory problems and related brain circuit changes. The project aims to link behavioral signs of helplessness with specific neural ensembles and molecular pathways in the hippocampus and related brain regions. Findings could reveal targets for preventing suicidal thoughts and behaviors in people who feel hopeless. The work combines behavioral tests with advanced imaging and molecular tagging to map cause-and-effect in the brain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to new brain-based strategies to reduce suicide risk in people who feel helpless.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies using neural tagging and antidepressant-like drugs have shown related neural circuit changes, but this project tests a novel combination and mechanism.
Where this research is happening
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New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Denny, Christine Ann — New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
- Study coordinator: Denny, Christine Ann
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.