Why nicotine cravings come back: the brain circuit behind relapse
Official title: Examining nicotine relapse in the habenulo-interpeduncular system
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11307558 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at a specific brain circuit that may cause strong nicotine cravings in people trying to quit smoking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2016 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $454,086 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA040626-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11307558 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project is preclinical and does not enroll people, but its findings are meant to help smokers who struggle with strong cravings and relapse within the first weeks after quitting.
✕Less likely to help
People looking for immediate clinical treatment or long-term successful quitters will not receive direct benefit from this animal-based research right now.
What this research studies
Researchers use a rat model where animals self-administer nicotine to mimic human tobacco use and abstinence. They focus on the medial habenula–interpeduncular nucleus (MHb–IPN) brain pathway and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors that are linked to withdrawal and craving. Using imaging and molecular tools, the team will track how chronic nicotine changes cells in this circuit and how those changes line up with relapse-like behavior, especially during the first 1–2 weeks of abstinence. Although the work is preclinical in animals, the results could point to targets for future treatments to reduce relapse in people trying to quit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could reveal new brain targets or drug strategies to help prevent early relapse after quitting smoking.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies have implicated the MHb–IPN pathway and nicotinic receptors in withdrawal and relapse, but translating those findings into proven human treatments remains uncompleted.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Drenan, Ryan Michael — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Drenan, Ryan Michael
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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.