With his Brain Research Foundation seed grant, Dr. Paul Vezina, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago, conducted research to identify the brain regions containing nAChRs (nicotinic acetylcholine receptors) that are necessary for the induction of locomotor and dopaminergic sensitization by nicotine. With this information, compounds and therapeutic approaches can be developed that prevent the kinds of neuroadaptations that result from exposure to drugs like nicotine, ultimately helping people overcome addiction.
Based on the results of this work, Dr. Vezina was awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health. This grant will fund the continued study of the effects of exposure to nicotine on nAChRs, neuronal excitability, and associated behavior patterns. In fact, Dr. Vezina and his colleagues have already characterized the effects of nicotine exposure on the regulation of nAChRs in areas of the brain.