National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism (niaaa)

This study aimed to understand how opioid addiction affects the brain's dopamine system, a key chemical messenger involved in reward and self-control. Researchers used brain scans (PET and MRI) and thinking tests to compare people with opioid use disorder—some on medication treat…

This study aimed to understand why some people with alcohol dependence struggle to 'unlearn' fear. Researchers compared 96 adults with and without alcohol problems, and with and without early life stress. They used brain scans, mild electric shocks, and genetic tests to see how f…

This study aimed to measure and understand the normal patterns of connections between different brain regions in healthy adults. Researchers used MRI and PET scans on 112 healthy volunteers to see how reliable these brain connection measurements were when repeated. The goal was t…

This study aimed to understand how heavy alcohol use affects the brain. Researchers used brain scans and memory tests to measure inflammation and brain function in 74 adults with alcohol use disorder and healthy volunteers. The goal was to see if brain inflammation from drinking …

This study aimed to understand if sleep helps the brain clear away waste products, specifically a protein called amyloid-beta which is linked to Alzheimer's disease. Healthy adult participants stayed overnight twice—once sleeping normally and once staying awake—and had brain scan…

This study aimed to understand if the brain's waste-clearing system works differently during sleep compared to being awake. Researchers used MRI scans to measure fluid movement in the brains of 40 healthy adults while they were asleep and awake. The goal was to gather basic knowl…

This study tested a new computer-assisted method for research. It allowed healthy volunteers to give themselves precise, controlled doses of alcohol through an IV, instead of drinking. The goal was to create a reliable tool for scientists to study how people self-administer alcoh…

This small, completed study aimed to understand how a medication called nalmefene affects the brain's response to alcohol cues and drinking behavior in heavy drinkers. It also tested whether a specific gene variation (OPRM1) changes how people respond to the medication. Thirteen …