# Effects of adolescent alcohol exposure on functional brain connectivity

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2021 · $154,728

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
This is an application for a Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) to support the career
development of Dr. Margaret Broadwater as an independent academic research scientist. The candidate is an
early stage investigator with a strong background in behavioral alcohol pharmacology studies and is relatively
new to the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The applicant's career and research training will be
overseen by a strong mentoring team and supported by strong institutional commitment to the candidate's
career development. The training outlined in this proposal will allow the candidate to develop a successful,
productive research laboratory that will be at the forefront of alcohol research using functional connectivity MRI
(fcMRI) in rodents. In humans and rodents, functional connectivity can be assessed with MRI by correlating
fluctuations in blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal, a surrogate marker of neural activity, between
brain regions. The proposed studies will use this tool to examine the effects of adolescent alcohol exposure on
brain. Alcohol use during adolescence is common and initiation of alcohol use at an early age is associated
with development of later alcohol use disorders. Chronic alcohol use during adolescence may result in deficits
of inhibitory, top-down control of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) on subcortical brain structures, possibly
contributing to compulsive and inflexible behavior typically seen in addiction. Indeed, the prefrontal cortex
(PFC) is particularly vulnerable to alcohol use during adolescence, the developmental period of cortical
maturation; however, it is unknown how PFC connectivity to other brain regions may be affected by adolescent
alcohol exposure. The overarching hypothesis of this proposal is that adolescent alcohol exposure will
alter maturation of PFC connectivity, leading to persistent deficits in PFC functional connectivity and
altered responding to acute alcohol challenge in adulthood. These results will be informative for ongoing
research initiatives from the NIH assessing consequences of adolescent alcohol use in humans, and ultimately
will aid in our understanding of potential mechanisms for addiction vulnerability to identify targets for
therapeutic intervention and reversal.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10237254
- **Project number:** 5K01AA025383-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Margaret A Broadwater
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $154,728
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10237254

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10237254, Effects of adolescent alcohol exposure on functional brain connectivity (5K01AA025383-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10237254. Licensed CC0.

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