2024
Imaging a putative marker of brain cortisol regulation in alcohol use disorder
Verplaetse T, Hillmer A, Bhatt S, Rusowicz A, Li S, Nabulsi N, Matuskey D, Huang Y, McKee S, Cosgrove K. Imaging a putative marker of brain cortisol regulation in alcohol use disorder. Neurobiology Of Stress 2024, 29: 100609. PMID: 38304303, PMCID: PMC10832501, DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100609.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAlcohol use disorderAnterior cingulate cortexDrinking days/weekModerate to severe alcohol use disorderHealthy controlsHypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axisSevere alcohol use disorderPositron emission tomographyHPA axis dysfunctionHPA axis functionRelease of glucocorticoid hormonesAlcohol consumptionAssociated with drinkingVentromedial PFCCingulate cortexHigh-resolution research tomographHPA activityUse disorderDrinking episodesCortisol regulationAxis functionVmPFCPeripheral cortisolBrain availabilityDisordered background
2022
Differences in the association between kappa opioid receptors and pain among Black and White adults with alcohol use disorders
de Laat B, Nabulsi N, Huang Y, O'Malley SS, Morris ED, Krishnan‐Sarin S. Differences in the association between kappa opioid receptors and pain among Black and White adults with alcohol use disorders. Alcohol Clinical And Experimental Research 2022, 46: 1348-1357. PMID: 35633151, DOI: 10.1111/acer.14879.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCold pressor testAlcohol use disorderKappa-opioid receptorsPositron emission tomographyOpioid receptorsNaltrexone effectsUse disordersWhite participantsOpioid antagonist naltrexoneBlack participantsKOR involvementNaltrexone treatmentPain recoveryAntagonist naltrexoneOpioid systemNaltrexoneAlcohol cravingPainWhite adultsUnderlying biological basisEmission tomographyWhite individualsMore alcoholTreatmentPreliminary findings
2020
Longitudinal imaging of metabotropic glutamate 5 receptors during early and extended alcohol abstinence
Hillmer AT, Angarita GA, Esterlis I, Anderson JM, Nabulsi N, Lim K, Ropchan J, Carson RE, Krystal JH, Malley S, Cosgrove KP. Longitudinal imaging of metabotropic glutamate 5 receptors during early and extended alcohol abstinence. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020, 46: 380-385. PMID: 32919411, PMCID: PMC7852514, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00856-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMetabotropic glutamate 5 receptorsSmoking statusAlcohol abstinenceEarly abstinenceMGlu5 receptor negative allosteric modulatorReceptor negative allosteric modulatorChronic alcohol useCortical brain regionsAlcohol use disorderEmission Tomography ImagingPositron emission tomography (PET) imagingNegative allosteric modulatorsDSM-5 criteriaCue-induced reinstatementHealthy controlsPreclinical literatureGlutamate systemPreclinical modelsHuman evidenceReceptor drugsPET scansUse disordersHuman studiesReceptor availabilityStudy duration
2019
Binge alcohol use is not associated with alterations in striatal dopamine receptor binding or dopamine release
Wai JM, Grassetti A, Slifstein M, Matuskey D, Nabulsi N, Ropchan J, Labaree D, Huang Y, Martinez D. Binge alcohol use is not associated with alterations in striatal dopamine receptor binding or dopamine release. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2019, 205: 107627. PMID: 31669800, PMCID: PMC6893096, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107627.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAlcohol use disorderPositron emission tomographyDopamine releaseBinge drinkersHealthy controlsBinge drinkingReceptor bindingUse disordersStriatal dopamine receptor bindingYoung adult binge drinkersAdult binge drinkersAlcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scoresDopamine receptor bindingFuture alcohol use disordersSubstance use disordersSignificant differencesPrevious imaging studiesOral methylphenidateRisk factorsDopamine transmissionHC subjectsAlcoholism criteriaAlcohol abuseDrinking historySignificant associationThe Kappa Opioid Receptor Is Associated With Naltrexone-Induced Reduction of Drinking and Craving
de Laat B, Goldberg A, Shi J, Tetrault JM, Nabulsi N, Zheng MQ, Najafzadeh S, Gao H, Kapinos M, Ropchan J, O'Malley SS, Huang Y, Morris ED, Krishnan-Sarin S. The Kappa Opioid Receptor Is Associated With Naltrexone-Induced Reduction of Drinking and Craving. Biological Psychiatry 2019, 86: 864-871. PMID: 31399255, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.05.021.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsKappa-opioid receptorsAlcohol use disorderOpioid receptorsUse disordersNonselective opioid receptor antagonistModest clinical effectsEfficacy of naltrexoneOpioid receptor antagonistDSM-IV criteriaPositron emission tomographyAlcohol Urge QuestionnaireNaltrexone initiationNaltrexone therapyClinical effectsReceptor antagonistTherapeutic effectCingulate cortexDrinking paradigmHeavy drinkersBilateral insulaNaltrexoneAlcohol dependenceBrain regionsEmission tomographyPrefrontal cortex