health
Alcoholic lab mice are helping scientists unlock which part of the brain makes us want to drink
For some, abstaining from alcohol can subsequently increase compulsive drinking. Our research team found that, in abstaining mice, this urge to drink is preceded by changes in the activity of a particular brain region, pointing to potential new screening opportunities to identify and help those most vulnerable to relapse.
TL;DR
- Abstinence from alcohol can increase compulsive drinking in some individuals, potentially due to brain changes.
- A study in mice showed that forced abstinence led to aversion-resistant alcohol intake and increased activity in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST).
- Higher BNST activity was observed in mice that drank bitter alcohol and in abstinent mice attempting to drink even when only water was available.
- This heightened BNST activity, present even before alcohol access, suggests it could be a biomarker for relapse risk.
- Alcohol use disorder is a major public health issue in the US, with increasing diagnosis rates.
- Developing better screening methods is crucial as clinicians are ill-equipped to predict who needs help.
- Further research is needed to understand the precise role of BNST and specific neuron populations involved.
- Ongoing studies are investigating BNST activity in humans with alcohol use disorder to validate these findings.