Alcohol Abstinence Relapse
Researchers found that abstaining mice had increased activity in a brain region associated with stress and addiction, which could help predict relapse risk in humans
According to a study published in Molecular Psychiatry, mice that developed compulsive drinking after alcohol abstinence showed more than double the activity in a brain region associated with stress and addiction. The research team, led by Danny G. Winder and Marie Doyle, found that this increased activity occurred before the mice drank again, suggesting it could be used to predict relapse risk.
The study's findings are based on an experiment in which mice were given long-term voluntary access to alcohol, followed by a forced abstinence period. A subset of the mice developed aversion-resistant alcohol intake, drinking increasingly bitter alcohol despite its unpleasant taste. These mice had higher activity in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) brain region, which is implicated in anxiety and depression.
Brain Activity and Relapse
The researchers monitored the activity of cells in the BNST and found that it increased when abstinent mice were given access to a setting where alcohol was previously available, even if the spout contained only water. This increased activity was associated with attempts to drink, suggesting that the BNST plays a role in relapse behavior.
Implications for Treatment
The study's findings have implications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder, which affects approximately 30 million people in the United States. Currently, clinicians are unable to predict who will relapse, and treatment strategies are often ineffective. The discovery of a potential biomarker for relapse risk, such as BNST activity, could lead to the development of more targeted and effective treatments.
Future Research
Further research is needed to understand the exact role of the BNST in alcohol use disorder and to develop new treatment strategies. The research team is working to manipulate the activity of specific neurons in the BNST to better understand its function, and a colleague, Jennifer Blackford, is investigating BNST activity in humans with alcohol use disorder. If similar findings are observed in humans, the BNST could be used as a screening method to identify individuals at risk of relapse.
The study's results are presented in the following table: The researchers hope that their findings will lead to the development of more effective treatments for alcohol use disorder and improved outcomes for individuals struggling with addiction. The BNST's role in relapse behavior is a key area of focus for future research, and its potential as a biomarker for relapse risk could have a significant impact on the treatment of alcohol use disorder.
