Sleep, circadian rhythms, and the brain’s reward system in teens
Official title: Regulation of Prefrontal Cortex - Nucleus Accumbens Circuit by Sleep and Circadian Rhythm
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11399195 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in teens aims to understand how sleep patterns and daily rhythms influence risk-taking and substance use by looking at brain circuits involved in reward and control.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2020 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $219,416 |
| NIH project number | 5P50DA046346-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11399195 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents aged 12-20 with interest in or exposure to sleep and circadian rhythm issues and substance use risks.
✕Less likely to help
Teens without sleep disturbances or substance use risk factors may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project explores how sleep and circadian disruptions during adolescence affect the brain circuits that control reward and decision-making. Using a combination of animal studies and human-focused analyses, researchers will look for gene changes and cellular differences in brain regions linked to addiction risk. They will also work on developing screening tools and biological markers to identify early adolescents who may be at higher risk for substance use. The work could lead to early identification and prevention strategies tailored to teens’ sleep patterns and environment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to earlier identification of teens at risk for substance use and inform sleep-focused prevention strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown sleep and circadian disruptions influence reward processing in animal models and humans, supporting potential for impactful findings.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Yanhua H — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Huang, Yanhua H
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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.