Project Grant R21MH136484

The federal Project Grant award R21MH136484, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242), is supporting research to modulate endogenous opioid signaling in order to reverse stress-induced deficits in reward processing. The 2-year, $459,613 award will enable the Research Foundation For Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH) to conduct preclinical studies in mice to determine if inhibiting the degradation of endogenous enkephalins can improve reward-seeking behaviors impaired by chronic stress. The research will examine the neural mechanisms underlying these effects and whether they are mediated through the mu or delta opioid receptor systems. RFMH has subagranted $166,593 to Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey to collaborate on this project. The overall goal is to lay the groundwork for developing novel treatments targeting the opioid system to address reward processing deficits seen in mental health disorders such as major depression and schizophrenia.