Neural Markers of Reward Dysregulation in Alcoholism Relapse Prediction

Project Overview

This project aims to identify neurobiological and cognitive-behavioral markers of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and evaluate their utility for predicting relapse after treatment. The project applies a multi-method clinical and translational approach that combines neural, cognitive-behavioral, and physiological measures with a prospective follow-up clinical design. By identifying markers of relapse vulnerability, this project aims to inform more specific targets for prevention and intervention.

Research Aims

• Identify neurobiological markers of reward dysregulation in AUD
• Characterize cognitive-behavioral markers associated with relapse risk
• Evaluate whether multimodal markers predict relapse after treatment
• Inform targeted prevention and intervention strategies for AUD

Methods

• Neural measures of reward dysregulation and alcohol cue reactivity
• Cognitive-behavioral assessment of relapse risk
• Physiological markers relevant to relapse risk
• Prospective clinical follow-up after treatment

Funding

This work is financed by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the project 2024.13959.PEX

Total funding: 60,000€

Project DOI: https://doi.org/10.54499/2024.13959.PEX

Research Team

• Jorge Martins, PI (ISPA-Instituto Universitário)
• Rajita Sinha, Co-PI (Yale University)
• Bruce Bartholow (University of Iowa)
• Francesco Versace (The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center)