Indulging in a drink or two might sound like the perfect way to say goodbye to an especially long and stressful week, but as it turns out, there might be some unwanted side effects.

In a report published in the Journal of Neuroscience, a team of researchers at the Texas A&M University detail how, in a study on animal models, they found that alcohol can reshape the brain.

More precisely, the scientists say they discovered alcohol can act on both the structure and the function of neurons in a brain region known to be involved in goal-driven behaviors.

The team explains that this discovery offers new insights into alcoholism, maybe even other addictions. Interestingly, they also argue that their findings could lead to the creation of new drugs that address addictions.

“My ultimate goal is to understand how the addicted brain works, and once we do, one day, we’ll be able to suppress the craving for another round of drinks and ultimately, stop the cycle of alcoholism,” says researcher Jun Wang.

How alcohol affects the brain

To better understand how some people become addicted to alcohol, the research team used animal models to study how alcohol consumption transforms the brain.

They found that alcohol consumption transforms the anatomy and physiology of a brain region known as the dorsomedial striatum in that it makes neurons involved in cravings more excitable.

As these neurons become more sensitive, they require less stimulation to be activated. What this means is that just one sip of wine can trigger cravings for an entire bottle.

“This creates a cycle where drinking causes easier activation, and activation causes more drinking,” the scientists explain. In time, these changes in brain function are bound to lead to alcoholism.

The same experiments revealed that alcohol not only makes these neurons involved in cravings more excitable but it also alters their anatomy in that it makes protrusions coming off of them longer.

Treating alcoholism and other addictions

Since the end goal of this research project is to try and find a treatment for alcoholism and maybe even other addictions, the scientists tested what would happen when the activity of the craving neurons was blocked, be it only partially.

Sure enough, the animal models that were given a drug to control the activity of these neurons showed a reduced desire to drink, even though they had previously shown signs of alcoholism. The researchers are now hoping they might be able to recreate this result in people.

“If we suppress this activity, we’re able to suppress alcohol consumption. This is the major finding. Perhaps in the future, researchers can use these findings to develop a specific treatment targeting these neurons,” says Jun Wang.