Award
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 1F31AA032195-01A1
Exploring a role for mPFC CRF circuitry in promoting stress-enhanced alcohol consumption
Recipient
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
Award Amount
$49,538.00
Ceiling
$49,538.00
Awarded
September 09, 2025
Identifier
1F31AA032195-01A1
This award funds research to study how chronic alcohol and stress affect specific neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, aiming to understand mechanisms driving increased alcohol consumption in alcohol use disorder.
Description
The project hypothesizes that chronic alcohol and stress alter the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), driving escalated alcohol consumption. The study will measure cellular activity of CRF+ and CRFR1+ neurons during alcohol drinking and manipulate these cells using chemogenetics to understand their roles. This is the first study to examine the activity and function of these neurons in the context of chronic alcohol and stress, providing insights into cortical dysregulation in AUD.