Substance use disorders

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) invites applications to renew and expand the Collaboratory on Neural Ensembles and Used Substances (NExUS). NExUS is a collaborative research program to decode how substance use experiences and addictive neurobehavioral states are represented in the brain at the level of cell populations. This funding opportunity seeks applications that propose systematic and scalable methods to identify, map, and analyze groups of neurons that respond to used substances. The goal is to create a comprehensive, multimodal database and use it to test hypotheses about h

This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) uses a R61/R33 Phased Innovation Award activity code to support clinical research applications that are exploratory and developmental in nature and focus on understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying substance use disorders (SUD), including fundamental circuitry and behavior relevant to substance use. For projects not requiring a phased research approach, applicants are encouraged to apply under a different funding activity code (e.g., PA-25-305 "Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required)" or its subsequent reissue).

Substance use disorders (SUD) has a significant impact on human wellbeing and carries a high economic cost in the modern world. Astrocytes are known to participate in all major aspects of brain functions by regulating extracellular levels of neuroactive molecules. Notably, astrocytes were previously shown to critically adjust levels of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) through astroglial vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (aVMAT2). Our recent data also indicate aVMAT2 expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc)., As SUD engages common neural pathways involved in natural reward processing i

Aggression and substance use disorders (SUDs) show consistent associations, although their causal link remains to be understood. Human genetic studies have identified an association between a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs16969968) of the CHRNA5 gene encoding the α5 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) (α5SNP) and higher scores of nicotine dependence. We and others have shown that the α5SNP is associated with a loss of function of α5 containing nAChRs (α5*nAChRs) and strongly modulates addiction-like behaviors in response not only to nicotine but also to alcohol and co

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a chronic neuropsychiatric condition characterized by a compulsion to use cocaine, resulting from enduring cellular and molecular adaptations. Among substance use disorders (SUDs), CUD is notable for its rising prevalence and the lack of approved pharmacotherapies. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), integral to the brain's reward circuitry, plays a crucial role in the initiation and continuation of maladaptive behaviors intrinsic to CUD. Leveraging advancements in neuroproteomics, we undertook an in-depth proteomic analysis of the NAc in a mouse model that spans membran

Substance use disorders (SUD) remain among the most poorly managed health conditions owing to the lack of effective management tools and treatment. Among substances that are used unhealthily, cocaine has the highest genetic heritability (>70%). The advanced mouse resources of the Collaborative Cross and Diversity Outbred (DO) population are a complementary group of mice that allow for a systems genetic analysis of heritable traits. As part of a NIDA Center for Excellence, we have phenotyped 973 DO mice using the cocaine intravenous self-administration (IVSA) paradigm, the gold standard para

Social stress increases susceptibility to develop substance use disorders, which can be modulated by intermittent exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD). However, both HFD and stress can elevate neuroinflammation levels under specific conditions. The objective of this study was to assess the protective role of intermittent exposure to HFD on the increase in ethanol consumption induced by social stress. The neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus and the striatum was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR of several gene expressions. Adult male OF1 mice were exposed to the repeated social def

Substance use disorders (SUD) and aggressive behaviour often co-occur within individuals, along with transdiagnostic behavioural traits such as risk-taking behaviour, impulsivity, irritability, neuroticism, or anxiety. This study investigates shared genetic risk factors across these phenotypes using public genome-wide association study (GWAS) data: five GWAS on SUD, two on aggressive behaviour, and seven on related behavioural traits. We calculated genetic correlations and identified trait-specific associated SNPs shared between these phenotypes using Polarmorphism. Also, we determined how the

In March we will focus on TMS and host Ghazaleh Soleimani and Colleen Hanlon. The talks will talk place on Thursday, March 28th at noon ET – please be aware that this means 5PM CET since Boston already switched to summer time! Ghazaleh Soleimani, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr Hamed Ekhtiari’s lab at the University of Minnesota. She is also the executive director of the International Network of tES/TMS for Addiction Medicine (INTAM). She will discuss “Adapting to diversity: Integrating variability in brain structure and function into personalized / closed-loop non-invasive brain stimula

…In neuropsychiatric conditions such as substance use disorders, however, decision making is often compromised, which can prolong and exacerbate their severity and co-morbidities. In this seminar, Dr. Setlow will discuss research in rodent models investigating behaviora

Although substance use disorders (SUDs) occur commonly in patients with schizophrenia and significantly worsen their clinical course, the neurobiological basis of SUDs in schizophrenia is not well understood. Therefore, there is a critical need to understand the mechanisms underlying SUDs in schizophrenia in order to identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Since drug use usually begins in adolescence, it is also important to understand the long-term effects of adolescent drug exposure on schizophrenia- and reward- related behaviors and circuitry. This talk will combine pharmac