# In vivo photoacoustic imaging of prefrontal cortex in rats undergoing fentanyl self-administration

> **NIH NIH R21** · WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $192,500

## Abstract

Project Summary – Abstract
 Current neuroimaging methods to assess brain function are limited by poor spatial and temporal
resolution as well as confounding vascular effects. This is particularly concerning for vasoactive drugs of abuse
including fentanyl (FTY) that causes vasodilation. Also, current tools only indirectly measure neuronal activity
likely missing patterns of neurons (i.e. neuronal ensembles) that are responsible for specific behaviors. FTY use
significantly contributes to opioid overdoses in the United States and it is being abused by a large number of
Americans. Yet, researchers know relatively little about this synthetic opioid agonist and assume it acts the same
as other opioids and drugs of abuse on brain function. Research in animals and humans has shown that
dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a hallmark of drugs of abuse including opioids, and this dysfunction
in the PFC is thought to contribute to compulsive drug taking behaviors. The technical limitations of current
neuroimaging techniques and misassumption that FTY acts similar to other opioids and drugs of abuse on brain
function present major research gaps that this grant proposal aims to address. Using photoacoustic imaging
(PAI), a novel optical neuroimaging technique, combined with a Fos-LacZ transgenic rodent model, we propose
a highly innovative project to study Fos-based neuroactivity, hemodynamics, and vascularization in female and
male rats engaging in FTY self-administration (FTY-sa; i.e. FTY taking behavior). Our overall hypothesis is that
PAI with multi-wavelength analysis in female and male Fos-LacZ transgenic rats provides a model system to
study neuronal activity, vascularization and hemodynamics concurrently and in vivo to disentangle the neuronal
and vascular components of FTY taking behavior. The studies proposed herein will use PAI to quantify neuronal
ensembles and Fos-based neuroactivity, while simultaneously measuring hemodynamics and vascularization.
Using transgenic Fos-LacZ rats we will study changes in PFC based on its known role in drug taking behavior
and we will study females and males because of their unique patterns of drug taking. The proposed studies of
this project address significant gaps, are highly innovative, and are forward looking. In short, the results of these
studies will advance understanding of FTY and better integrate PAI in studies on the neurobiology of addiction.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10492432
- **Project number:** 5R21DA052657-02
- **Recipient organization:** WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Kamran Avanaki
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $192,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-30 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10492432

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10492432, In vivo photoacoustic imaging of prefrontal cortex in rats undergoing fentanyl self-administration (5R21DA052657-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10492432. Licensed CC0.

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