Alcohol-related sleep disturbances and circuit dynamics of arousal neuropeptides

项目摘要/摘要 终纹床核(BNST)是一个异质的大脑区域，在觉醒、焦虑、 和酒精成瘾。它包含多个神经元亚群，这些亚群可以通过它们的 BNST内神经肽的表达和空间位置，其中一些是不同行为的基础 与饮酒和戒酒有关。有两个亚群表达促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子(CRF) 和CCK。含有这些神经肽的BNST神经元向 在父母赠款中对外侧下丘脑进行研究，以确定它们的潜在差异。 对饮酒行为和睡眠/清醒状态的影响。这项补充的家长基金探索了 神经肽表达决定的BNST回路如何影响酒精使用和潜在的酒精相关睡眠 骚乱。过去的研究表明，神经肽在BNST的表达可能因性别而不同。这 补充物建立在父母资助的基础上，以探索相同BNST神经元和投射的性别差异 在家长那里学习。CRF-/CCK-表达量是否存在差异 BNST中的神经元及其向参与应激、焦虑和觉醒的脑区的投射模式 将使研究人员对这一高度复杂的大脑区域和 已知的过度饮酒和相关行为的性别差异。 家长基金还建议研究BNST中表达CRF的神经元在 在动物饮酒时睡觉/醒来，这将为了解这些因素的作用提供新的见解。 酒精相关睡眠障碍中的神经元。睡眠障碍是多种有据可查的影响之一 酒精使用障碍。据报道，酒精使用障碍患者也会出现焦虑，尤其是 在戒酒期间。本附录旨在加深我们对潜在机制的理解。 当动物在接受焦虑行为测试时，通过记录CRF-/CCK-BNST活动来实现这种焦虑 从长期饮酒中急性戒断。 这份副刊的候选人将领导提议成为独立科学家的项目。 通过严格的实验技术培训和带头开发自定义数据 分析收集的数据，她将获得宝贵的技能，这些技能将在她未来的职业生涯中服务于 科学。在她的多位导师的指导下，她将努力扩大她的合作者网络， 同龄人和导师。她还将参加会议和系列研讨会，以练习她的科学交流 技能，并将有助于在实验室培训和指导更多的初级科学家。到培训结束时 期间，她将为进入职业发展的下一个阶段做好充分准备，申请 有竞争力的研究生项目，并提交未来独立研究资金的申请。

Project Summary/Abstract The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a heterogeneous brain region with roles in arousal, anxiety, and alcohol addiction. It contains multiple subpopulations of neurons that can be characterized by their expression of neuropeptides and spatial locations within the BNST, some of which underlie distinct behaviors relevant to alcohol use and withdrawal. Two such subpopulations express corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and cholecystokinin (CCK). Distinct projections from BNST neurons containing each of these neuropeptides to the lateral hypothalamus (LH) are investigated in the parent grant to determine their potential differential contributions to alcohol drinking behavior and sleep/wake states. The parent grant of this supplement explores how the BNST circuits defined by neuropeptide expression affect alcohol use and potential alcohol-related sleep disturbances. Past research suggests that the expression of neuropeptides in the BNST may differ by sex. This supplement builds off the parent grant to explore sex differences in the same BNST neurons and projections being studied in the parent. Studying whether there are differences in the amount of CRF-/CCK-expressing neurons in the BNST and in their projection patterns to brain regions involved in stress, anxiety, and arousal would allow researchers to have a more nuanced understanding of this highly complex brain region and the known sex differences in excessive alcohol consumption and related behaviors. The parent grant also proposes to investigate the activity of the CRF-expressing neurons in the BNST during sleep/wake while animals have been drinking alcohol, which will provide new insights into the role of these neurons during alcohol-related sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbance is one of multiple documented effects of alcohol use disorders. Anxiety has also been reported to develop in patients with alcohol use disorder, particularly during withdrawal from alcohol. This supplement aims to further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this anxiety by recording CRF-/CCK-BNST activity while animals are undergoing anxiety behavior testing during acute withdrawal from long-term alcohol drinking. The candidate of this supplement will be leading the projects proposed to become an independent scientist. Through rigorous training on experimental techniques and spearheading the development of custom data analysis pipelines for the data collected, she will gain invaluable skills that will serve her in a future career in science. With the guidance of her multiple mentors, she will work on expanding her network of collaborators, peers, and mentors. She will also attend conferences and seminar series to practice her science communication skills and will contribute to the training and mentoring of more junior scientists in the lab. By the end of the training period, she will be very well prepared to both enter the next stages of her career development by applying to competitive graduate programs and submitting applications for future independent research funding.