Orexin system for PTSD with psychotic symptoms
The orexin system as a target for PTSD and comorbid psychosis
Looking at whether blocking orexin receptors can reduce stress-related brain and behavior changes linked to PTSD with psychotic symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | South Texas Veterans Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11213849 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are using animal models to explore brain circuits that may cause psychotic symptoms in people with PTSD. They focus on the insular cortex and its influence on dopamine systems, testing whether manipulating the insula-to-orbitofrontal circuit can reverse stress-related changes in brain signals and behavior. The team will also test how blocking orexin receptors (using the FDA-approved drug Suvorexant) affects insular cortex function in stressed and control animals. Results are meant to point toward circuit-specific targets that could inform new treatments for PTSD patients who have psychotic symptoms.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with PTSD who experience psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions would be the eventual candidates for treatments informed by this work.
Not a fit: Patients without PTSD or without psychotic symptoms, or those whose symptoms arise from unrelated medical causes, are unlikely to benefit directly from this line of research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could point to safer, non-dopamine treatments for PTSD patients with psychotic symptoms by repurposing orexin receptor blockers to reduce psychosis-related brain changes and behaviors.
How similar studies have performed: The investigators' prior animal work showed Suvorexant reversed stress-induced neurophysiological and behavioral correlates of psychosis in rats, so this approach is promising but still early and mainly preclinical.
Where this research is happening
San Antonio, United States
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System — San Antonio, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lodge, Daniel — South Texas Veterans Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Lodge, Daniel
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.