poledriver
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2005
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Is THIS the answer to curbing binge drinking? Scientists find a brain switch that controls the desire for alcohol
While some people love a drink, others are happy to stick with an alcohol-free beverage.
Now, new research has found a mechanism that appears to have a strong influence on a person's choice on how much they drink.
The finding could offer a new target for drug therapies that could help to curb excessive drinking.
Researchers from the Oregon Health and Science University say that the finding could be particularly effective in treating problem drinkers – half of whom are believed to have a genetically determined tendency to abuse alcohol.
Professor David Rossi, who led the study, said: 'It takes them from drinking the equivalent of three to four units of alcohol in one to two hours, down to one to two.'
The researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in the cerebellum – the part of the brain at the back of the skull – in small neurons called granule cells.
These cells contain proteins called GABAA receptors, which control electrical signals in the nervous system.
When the GABAA receptors are activated, as they are with alcohol, they suppress brain circuits, reducing anxiety and social inhibitions, as well as slurring speech and affecting the ability to walk.
However, alcohol does not have the same effect on every brain - some people get drunk after just a few drinks, while others have a much higher capacity.
The researchers looked at the brains of two specially bred mice.
The D2 mouse quickly gets drunk, and will stop drinking after a few drinks.
In contrast with this, the B6 mouse can drink three times the amount of alcohol without seeing the same effect, and will continue to binge.
Cont: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...ch-controls-desire-alcohol.html#ixzz4IsUp4j25
While some people love a drink, others are happy to stick with an alcohol-free beverage.
Now, new research has found a mechanism that appears to have a strong influence on a person's choice on how much they drink.
The finding could offer a new target for drug therapies that could help to curb excessive drinking.
Researchers from the Oregon Health and Science University say that the finding could be particularly effective in treating problem drinkers – half of whom are believed to have a genetically determined tendency to abuse alcohol.
Professor David Rossi, who led the study, said: 'It takes them from drinking the equivalent of three to four units of alcohol in one to two hours, down to one to two.'
The researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in the cerebellum – the part of the brain at the back of the skull – in small neurons called granule cells.
These cells contain proteins called GABAA receptors, which control electrical signals in the nervous system.
When the GABAA receptors are activated, as they are with alcohol, they suppress brain circuits, reducing anxiety and social inhibitions, as well as slurring speech and affecting the ability to walk.
However, alcohol does not have the same effect on every brain - some people get drunk after just a few drinks, while others have a much higher capacity.
The researchers looked at the brains of two specially bred mice.
The D2 mouse quickly gets drunk, and will stop drinking after a few drinks.
In contrast with this, the B6 mouse can drink three times the amount of alcohol without seeing the same effect, and will continue to binge.
Cont: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...ch-controls-desire-alcohol.html#ixzz4IsUp4j25
