While considerable effort has been focused upon the neurobiological circuits mediating appetitive, or reward seeking, aspects on alcohol self-administration, our understanding of the circuits that mediate the consummatory aspects ? the actual alcohol intake itself ? is more limited. Therefore, the studies proposed in this application seek to define the neural circuits that control alcohol intake. These studies build on past work supporting a role for the nucleus accumbens and the amygdala central nucleus both in both natural feeding and in alcohol intake. The contribution of these regions and selected afferents and efferents will be determined using optogenetics to activate or suppress neuronal populations or specific neural projections, and using calcium imaging to query the activity of these neural elements, during cue-elicited and spontaneous alcohol intake. In addition, these studies will examine the impact of prior alcohol dependence on the role of the accumbens and the amygdala central nucleus given the strong evidence for alcohol- induced neuroadaptations in these extended amygdala regions. These studies represent important steps towards specification of consummatory circuits whose function may change after chronic alcohol representing a possible neurobiological mediator of excessive or escalated alcohol intake.

Public Health Relevance

Alcohol use disorders cause enormous individual health, social, and economic burdens in the United States and around the world. To design new therapies to assist in the treatment of alcohol use disorders we need to better understand the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie alcohol intake itself. The proposed studies focus on the extended amygdala and apply state-of-the-art technologies to define the circuit mechanisms underlying alcohol intake, including after alcohol dependence, to aid in achieving that goal.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA026306-03
Application #
9922827
Study Section
Neurotoxicology and Alcohol Study Section (NAL)
Program Officer
Cui, Changhai
Project Start
2018-08-01
Project End
2023-04-30
Budget Start
2020-05-01
Budget End
2021-04-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2020
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
001910777
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21205