Personalized assessment of how GABA changes affect PTSD
Official title: Individualized computational assessment of the effects of GABA receptor modulation in posttraumatic stress disorder
Funded at VA San Diego Healthcare System · NIH-11308214 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests how blocking GABA signals with a single dose of a benzodiazepine changes brain signals and behavior in Veterans with PTSD to identify a specific high-arousal subgroup.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA San Diego Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2025 |
| Project end | September 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2027 |
| NIH project number | 5I01CX002872-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11308214 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with PTSD, particularly Veterans, who may participate in pharmacologic challenge and neuroimaging procedures.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not participate in imaging or pharmacologic challenges or who are not within the PTSD population may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will use a computational approach to track how GABA-related signaling influences decision-making and brain activity after a single dose of a benzodiazepine in people with PTSD. They will combine objective clinical tests, a novel model of goal-directed control, and functional brain imaging to see if reduced inhibition marks a high-arousal PTSD subgroup. This work aims to create a precision phenotyping method so future treatments can be tailored to those most likely to benefit. The study is conducted at VA San Diego Healthcare System with a focus on Veterans and their specific neurobiology. The ultimate goal is to inform more effective, targeted pharmacologic strategies for PTSD symptoms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help identify which Veterans with PTSD are most likely to respond to certain GABA-targeted treatments, guiding personalized care.
How similar studies have gone: Past work has used pharmacologic challenges and neuroimaging to study GABA in PTSD, with this study offering a novel computational phenotyping angle.
Where this research is happening
-
VA San Diego Healthcare System
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Howlett, Jonathon R — VA San Diego Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Howlett, Jonathon R
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation for PTSD in Veterans
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Computationally mapping PTSD to better diagnosis and personalized care
A research project uses computer tools to find brain-based patterns that could help diagnose PTSD more clearly and tailor treatments for Veterans and others with PTSD.
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PTSD, Faster Aging, and Veteran Health
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Understanding how sensing sounds and sights affect PTSD
A study by the University of Texas Health Houston explores how abnormal brain sensing and fear networks contribute to PTSD and how these insights could guide future treatments.
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Inflammation and fear learning in PTSD
This study looks at how a temporary inflammatory challenge affects fear extinction in people with and without PTSD to better understand how PTSD could be treated.
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A mobile health tool will help adults with opioid use disorder and PTSD stay connected to support after they leave residential treatment.
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.