Orexin system for PTSD with psychotic symptoms
Official title: The orexin system as a target for PTSD and comorbid psychosis
Funded at South Texas Veterans Health Care System · NIH-11213849 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | April 1, 2020 |
| Project end | September 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX004693-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11213849 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with PTSD who experience psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions would be the eventual candidates for treatments informed by this work.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
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
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Investigating the orexin system for treating PTSD and related psychosis
This study is looking at how a brain system related to sleep and wakefulness might affect people with PTSD who also have psychotic symptoms, and it’s testing a safe medication to see if it can help improve their symptoms in a new way.
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Understanding how PTSD affects self-control and brain function
Researchers are studying how PTSD changes the brain’s control over thoughts and actions, and how this might affect Veterans’ daily lives and responses to treatment.
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Ketamine to boost fear extinction and memory on PTSD patients
A study testing whether ketamine can help people with PTSD better relearn and forget fear when given in a guided treatment plan.
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Psychosis in diverse settings across the world
This project studies how psychotic disorders show up and respond to treatment in adults with diverse backgrounds, including populations in Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings.
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Psychosis in Diverse Settings: Understanding Symptoms and Treatment Across Global South
A human-facing study will look at how psychotic disorders present and respond to treatment in adults from Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings, using genetic and clinical data.
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A new online brain-scan-style tool to spot early psychosis risk
A new online-based set of tasks and a computer model aims to identify people at high risk for developing psychosis earlier and more accurately.
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.