New research conducted in mice looks at how alcohol engages with the brain’s reward center, and which mechanisms might be set in motion to prevent excessive drinking.

Share on Pinterest A new study has identified a protein involved in the brain changes that promote excessive drinking.

Catching up with friends and family over a glass of wine is a scenario familiar to many of us, yet alcohol consumption is often a divisive topic. It can be easy to get carried away and have one drink too many, which can sometimes have unwanted medical consequences.

Recently, Medical News Today have reported on many studies concerned with the effects of alcohol consumption, with some questioning how much alcohol is safe to drink and others suggesting that a couple of glasses may even be beneficial.

However, some people tend to engage in excessive drinking on a regular basis, and scientists are still struggling to understand the mechanism that leads to this excessive consumption.

Now, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, led by Dr. Dorit Ron, have used mouse models to study what happens in the brain when alcohol is consumed preferentially.

It is known that mice, if given alcohol, might eventually begin to prefer it to other beverages, leading to a pattern of excessive drinking. This allowed the scientists to study the effect of heavy alcohol consumption on the central nervous system and identify the changes that take place in the brain.

“There is – rightfully – a lot of media attention right now on opiate abuse and addiction. But alcohol abuse and addiction are much bigger problems, and the human cost is staggering: 3.3 million people die every year in the world from alcohol abuse,” explains Dr. Ron.

“Unfortunately, there are only a few medications on the market to reduce craving and relapse, and none of them work very well,” she says.

The researchers’ findings were recently published in the journal Neuron.