Translational Underpinnings of Motivation for Alcohol in Humans

NIH RePORTER · NIH · R01 · $63,714 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

DIVERSITY SUPPLEMENT- PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This Diversity Supplement proposal is designed to prepare the candidate to become an independent investigator and translational scientist in the field of addiction. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent, debilitating, and heterogeneous disorder that is difficult to treat. The Addiction Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) and the NIDA Phenotyping Battery are proposed frameworks to better understand heterogeneity in addiction with each deriving neurofunctional domains relevant to addiction. While there is some overlap in the neurofunctional domains derived using the batteries (both assessments capture negative emotionality, incentive salience, and executive function), the NIDA Phenotyping Battery measures 3 additional domains: sleep, metacognition, and interoception. The Parent R01 will test the 3 domains of the ANA on subjective response to alcohol and self-administration. Specifically, individuals (N=210) with AUD (mild-to-severe) will be phenotyped using the ANA and will complete alcohol administration and self-administration protocols. While keeping the integrity of the experimental design of the Parent R01 intact, the candidate will include the short version of the NIDA Phenotyping Battery as a screening assessment in the parent study which will be administered prior to alcohol administration and self-administration procedures. The purpose of the candidate’s proposed research is to test the relationship between sleep, metacognition, and interoception derived using the NIDA Phenotyping Battery on subjective response to alcohol and alcohol self-administration. The specific aims of the supplement are to determine whether dysfunction in sleep, metacognition, or interoception derived using the NIDA Phenotyping Battery are related to subjective response to alcohol and subsequently increase alcohol self-administration. As an exploratory aim, the candidate proposes to examine the relationship between candidate genotypes (e.g., OPRM1) and six neurofunctional domains derived using both the ANA and NIDA Phenotyping Battery: incentive salience, negative emotionality, executive function, sleep, metacognition, and interoception. This diversity supplement will position the candidate to be at the forefront of translational neuroscience in the field of addiction and provide several training opportunities geared towards moving the candidate along the path towards research independence. The training goals for Dr. Nieto are to gain expertise in translational science in the field of addiction and professional development as an independent scientist.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10976881
Project number
3R01AA029701-01S1
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
Principal Investigator
LARA A. RAY
Activity code
R01
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$63,714
Award type
3
Project period
2023-08-17 → 2027-07-31