Biological bases of addiction: investigating norepinephrine and brain stress systems using PET in abstinent alcoholics

This project constitutes progress toward the specific goal of solving the complex biomedical problem of addictive behaviors. It will finance a Norwegian post. doc. (the project manager) to take part in an interdisciplinary research consortium at Yale Univ ersity on stress, self control and addiction (IRCSSA) bringing together 50 leading scientists who conduct research relevant to a number of NIH Institutes (NIMH, NIA, NIDA, NIAAA, NHLBI, NCI, NICHD, NIDDK, NIEHS, NINDS, NIDCD). The post. doc. will be train ed in state-of-the-art imaging techniques using PET and fMRI, and will be in charge of the study described in the project description. On the condition that Norway provides the salary for the post. doc. and minor related expenses, Yale University will pro vide the infrastructure, support staff and material support to complete the project within the scheduled timeframe. The director of the molecular imaging program at Yale University, Alexander Neumeister, have worked with the project manager and Nils Inge Landrø for two years and co-authored an article in Biological Psychiatry. Helge Waal and and Fanny Duckert have strongly encouraged the project manager and have him in mind should the university based research center on drug addiction be located in Oslo. Frode Willoch will integrate the post. doc. in the imaging group at Aker University Hospital and UiO both before and after the two years required to complete the data collection at Yale. The proposed study will provide a greater understanding of the nor epinephrine brain system, stress and self control mechanisms underlying addictions which will lead to the development of new social, behavioral and pharmacological prevention and treatment strategies for reducing alcoholism and other addictions, in additi on to improve treatment modalities, diagnostic capabilities, and classification systems. The ultimate goal is to reduce medical morbidity and functional disease burden associated with addiction.