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Faculty & Research
Research Interests
Alcoholism is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder that is characterized by recurring cycles of chronic drinking, abstinence and relapse. Emerging evidence suggests that alcohol and other drugs of abuse may produce maladaptive changes in a variety of neurotransmitter, cell signaling and gene transcription pathways that lead to enduring changes in brain structure and function. These neuroadaptations are thought to regulate behavioral pathologies that occur in alcoholism.
The primary goals of our research are to 1) elucidate neuroadaptations in molecular signaling pathways associated with chronic voluntary alcohol drinking and abstinence; and 2) investigate the functional involvement of these molecular pathways in the behavioral effects of alcohol including self-administration, mood regulation (i.e., anxiety and depression), discrimination, and sensitization. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of drug-induced plasticity in brain and behavioral functions is of potential importance for development of new pharmacotherapies for problems associated with alcoholism, such as relapse.
Research Projects
Molecular Mechanisms of Ethanol Reinforcement
R01 AA014983; Hodge (PI)
The primary goal of this application is to characterize the involvement of metabotropic glutamate receptors in alcohol's reinforcing effects.
Molecular Mechanisms of Alcohol Drinking and Relapse
P60 AA011605; Component of UNC-CH Center Grant; Crews (PI), Hodge (Component PI)
This component of the NIAAA Alcohol Center Grant is focused on elucidating the functional involvement of the cell signaling pathways in alcohol drinking and relapse. Studies are focused on protein kinase C isoforms, the ERK/MAPK pathway, and how changes in activity of these kinases regulate alcohol drinking, relapse, and reinforcement.
Behavioral and Molecular Mechanisms of Ethanol-Induced Depression
R01 AA16629 (pending); Hodge (PI)
We have discovered that abstinence from chronic alcohol drinking is associated with increased depression-like behavior in mice. The goals of this multidisciplinary project are to identify molecular mechanisms of this alcohol-induced increase in depression.
Mentored Research Projects
Novel Mechanism of Ethanol Discrimination
K01 AA016009; Dr. Joyce Besheer (PI), Hodge (Mentor)
The primary goal of this project is to characterize neurobiological mechanisms of the subjective (i.e., discriminative) effects of alcohol.
Characterization of Adolescent Ethanol Sensitization
F31 AA016032; Rebekah Stevenson (PI), Hodge (Mentor)
The objective of this pre-doctoral research project is to examine developmental differences in neurobehavioral adaptation to repeated ethanol.
Ethanol Drinking, Depression, and Neurogenesis
F31 AA016043; Jennifer Hillmann (PI), Hodge (Mentor)
This pre-doctoral project is examining the effects of alcohol drinking on depression-like behavior with an emphasis on adult hippocampal neurogenesis as a potential mechanism.
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Center Line Articles
Recent Publications
Click for a list of publications from PubMed
Besheer J, Stevenson RA, Hodge CW. mGlu(5) receptors are involved in the discriminative stimulus effects of self-administered ethanol in rats. Eur J Pharmacol. 2006 Dec 3;551(1-3):71-5.
Parnell SE, Dehart DB, Wills TA, Chen SY, Hodge CW, Besheer J, Waage-Baudet HG, Charness ME, Sulik KK. Maternal oral intake mouse model for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: ocular defects as a measure of effect. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2006 Oct;30(10):1791-8.
Hodge CW, Grant KA, Becker HC, Besheer J, Crissman AM, Platt DM, Shannon EE, Shelton KL. Understanding how the brain perceives alcohol: neurobiological basis of alcohol discrimination. Alcohol Clin Res. 2006 Feb; 30 (2): 203-13.
Hodge CW, Miles MF, Sharko AC, Stevenson RA, Hillmann JR, Lepoutre V, Besheer J, Schroeder JP. The mGluR5 antagonist MPEP selectively inhibits the onset and maintenance of ethanol self-administration in C57BL/6J mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2006 Jan;183(4):429-38
Schroeder JP, Overstreet DH, Hodge CW. The mGluR5 antagonist MPEP decreases operant ethanol self-administration during maintenance and after repeated alcohol deprivations in alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2005 Apr;179(1):262-70. 2005 Feb 17.
Besheer J, Hodge CW. Pharmacological and anatomical evidence for an interaction between mGluR5- and GABA(A) alpha1-containing receptors in the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2005 Apr;30(4):747-57.
Olive MF, McGeehan AJ, Kinder JR, McMahon T, Hodge CW, Janak PH, Messing RO. The mGluR5 antagonist 6-methyl-2-(phenylethynyl)pyridine decreases ethanol consumption via a protein kinase C epsilon-dependent mechanism. Mol Pharmacol. 2005 Feb;67(2):349-55.
Camarini R, Hodge CW. Ethanol preexposure increases ethanol self-administration in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2004 Dec;79(4):623-32.
Besheer J, Hodge CW. Pharmacological and Anatomical Evidence for an Interaction Between mGluR5- and GABA(A) alpha1-Containing Receptors in the Discriminative Stimulus Effects of Ethanol. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2004 Nov 17.
Olive MF, McGeehan AJ, Kinder JR, McMahon T, Hodge CW, Janak PH, Messing RO. The mGluR5 antagonist MPEP decreases ethanol consumption via a PKC{epsilon}-dependent mechanism. Mol Pharmacol. 2004 Nov 17.
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Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill