Using the body's cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway to reduce brain inflammation and mood and thinking problems after traumatic brain injury
Official title: Harnessing the Cholinergic Inflammatory Reflex to Alter Neuroinflammation and Neuropsychiatric Consequences Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Funded at White River Junction VA Medical Center · NIH-11239772 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether stimulating the vagus nerve or giving a drug called anatabine can lower brain inflammation and improve mood, memory, and behavior after blast-related traumatic brain injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | White River Junction VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (White River Junction, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | October 1, 2022 |
| Project end | September 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2RX003551-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11239772 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with a history of blast-related or other moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury who have ongoing neuropsychiatric symptoms would be the likely candidates for follow-on human trials.
✕Less likely to help
People with only very mild or fully recovered concussions, or whose symptoms are caused primarily by unrelated psychiatric or neurodegenerative conditions, may not benefit from these specific anti-inflammatory approaches.
What this research studies
The team uses a rodent model of blast-related traumatic brain injury to study whether activating the cholinergic inflammatory reflex can change brain inflammation and related behavioral problems. They will apply vagus nerve stimulation (a neuromodulation method) and give anatabine (a cholinergic agonist) after injury, then measure inflammatory markers, circuit changes in areas like the hippocampus and amygdala, and behavior. Findings will help decide whether these approaches could move toward human testing and potentially guide new treatments for people with TBI.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these approaches could lead to treatments that reduce neuroinflammation and improve mood, memory, and behavior after blast-related TBI.
How similar studies have gone: Vagus nerve stimulation has shown anti-inflammatory effects and clinical benefits in some neurological and psychiatric conditions, while use of anatabine for TBI is more experimental and less tested.
Where this research is happening
-
White River Junction VA Medical Center
White River Junction, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Noller, Crystal M — White River Junction VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Noller, Crystal M
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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.