# Functional Neuroimaging of Alcoholism Vulnerability: Probing Glutamate and Reward, Using the Fyn Kinase Inhibitor Drug, Saracatinib.

> **NIH NIH P50** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $121,615

## Abstract

Project 2: Functional Neuroimaging of Alcoholism Vulnerability: Probing Glutamate and
Reward, Using the Fyn Kinase Inhibitor Drug, Saracatinib
Godfrey Pearlson, M.D.
Abstract
This project will test the impact of a direct manipulation of a specific, alcoholism risk-relevant
mechanism involving intracellular signaling, on functional MRI-measured human reward brain
circuit function. It tests the dose-related effects of the Fyn kinase (Fyn) inhibitor drug,
saracatinib (AZD0530) in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, counterbalanced
study design. All proposed aims for Project 2 compare family history positive for alcoholism
(FHP; i.e., affected parent plus other close relatives, N=40) to matched family history negative
(FHN; i.e., no affected first-degree relative, N=40) participants on four fMRI tasks, with the goal
of clarifying the interplay of the neurotransmitters dopamine and glutamate via protein kinase A-
related signaling pathways in reward circuit dysfunction associated with familial risk for
alcoholism.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9941001
- **Project number:** 5P50AA012870-20
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** GODFREY D PEARLSON
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $121,615
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9941001

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9941001, Functional Neuroimaging of Alcoholism Vulnerability: Probing Glutamate and Reward, Using the Fyn Kinase Inhibitor Drug, Saracatinib. (5P50AA012870-20). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9941001. Licensed CC0.

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