# GABAergic alterations in the BNST to VTA circuit following morphine withdrawal

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2024 · $32,922

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The opioid epidemic is a continuously growing problem in the United States and across the world. It has profound
personal, social, and economic consequences. Opioid use can become Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in many
individuals. OUD consists of several stages, one of which is a highly dysphoric withdrawal syndrome known as
Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (OWS). The withdrawal symptoms, including sleep dysregulation, and fear of those
symptoms often contributes drastically to relapse. We do not currently understand all of the neurobiological
mechanisms underlying opioid withdrawal, nor how particular circuits are modified by opioid withdrawal. It is well
known, however, that two brain regions, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and the ventral tegmental
area (VTA), are involved in some capacity. In the two aims of this proposal, the experiments will help to
understand how the pathway between these two regions is modified by opioid withdrawal. Our preliminary data
shows that the GABAergic neurons in the BNST are altered by withdrawal. BNSTGABA neurons make up the bulk
of the BNST neurons projecting to the VTA, where they synapse onto VTAGABA neurons, and have been
implicated in positive reinforcement. This project utilizes viral-manipulations, behavioral studies, and
electrophysiological examinations to carefully and specifically determine the effects of withdrawal in the BNST.
In the second portion of this proposal, the experiments are focused on the output of this pathway in the VTA as
well as a knockdown of this pathway to elucidate the role of this pathway in controlling behavior.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10775708
- **Project number:** 5F31DA056211-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Madigan Bedard
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $32,922
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-01-01 → 2024-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10775708

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10775708, GABAergic alterations in the BNST to VTA circuit following morphine withdrawal (5F31DA056211-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10775708. Licensed CC0.

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