Faculty & Research

Clyde Hodge, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies

Office | 1025A Thurston-Bowles Bldg, CB#7178

Email | chodge@med.unc.edu

Lab Website | Hodge Lab

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; 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. 

 

Center Line Articles

 

Recent Publications

Click for a list of publications from PubMed

Increased operant responding for ethanol in male C57BL/6J mice: specific regulation by the ERK1/2, but not JNK, MAP kinase pathway. Faccidomo S, Besheer J, Stanford PC, Hodge CW. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2009 May;204(1):135-47.

Besheer J, Schroeder JP, Stevenson RA, Hodge CW. Ethanol-induced alterations of c-Fos immunoreactivity in specific limbic brain regions following ethanol discrimination training.Brain Res. 2008 Sep 26;1232:124-31

Schroeder JP, Spanos M, Stevenson JR, Besheer J, Salling M, Hodge CW. Cue-induced reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behavior is associated with increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation in specific limbic brain regions: blockade by the mGluR5 antagonist MPEP.Neuropharmacology. 2008 Sep;55(4):546-54.

Salling MC, Faccidomo S, Hodge CW.  Nonselective suppression of operant ethanol and sucrose self-administration by the mGluR7 positive allosteric modulator AMN082.Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2008 Nov;91(1):14-20.

Stevenson JR, Schroeder JP, Nixon K, Besheer J, Crews FT, Hodge CW. Abstinence following Alcohol Drinking Produces Depression-Like Behavior and Reduced Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Mice.Neuropsychopharmacology. 2008 Jun 18.

Besheer J, Faccidomo S, Grondin JJ, Hodge CW. Effects of mGlu1-receptor blockade on ethanol self-administration in inbred alcohol-preferring rats. Alcohol. 2008 Feb;42(1):13-20.

Besheer J, Faccidomo S, Grondin JJ, Hodge CW. Regulation of motivation to self-administer ethanol by mGluR5 in alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2008 Feb;32(2):209-21.

Stevenson RA, Besheer J, Hodge CW. Comparison of ethanol locomotor sensitization in adolescent and adult DBA/2J mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2008 Apr;197(3):361-70.

Sharko AC, Hodge CW. Differential modulation of ethanol-induced sedation and hypnosis by metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonists in C57BL/6J mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2008 Jan;32(1):67-76.

Parnell SE, Chen SY, Charness ME, Hodge CW, Dehart DB, Sulik KK. Concurrent Dietary Administration of D-SAL and Ethanol Diminishes Ethanol's Teratogenesis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007 Oct 19.