Award
NIH Reporter #1R01AA033156-01
Targeting Neurosteroid Pathways in Alcohol Use Disorder: Clinical and Neural Impact of Pregnenolone Therapy
Recipient
UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
Award Amount
$753,141.00
Ceiling
$753,141.00
Awarded
July 28, 2026
Identifier
1R01AA033156-01
A clinical trial to assess pregnenolone therapy for treating co-occurring alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder, including neuroimaging to understand neural mechanisms.
Description
This project evaluates the potential of pregnenolone, a neurosteroid synthesized in the brain and periphery, as a treatment for both alcohol use disorder (AUD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). It involves a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pregnenolone (500 mg) in 100 participants with co-occurring AUD and MDD, measuring alcohol consumption, craving, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and neural connectivity.