Alcoholism is a dangerous addiction in which neurotransmitters
are the pathways of addiction. Each person is different and handle the affects
differently.
Recently, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute conducted a study
in alcoholism that could possibly help develop personalized treatments for
individuals. Both alcohol-dependent and nondependent rats were used to show the
main difference in their brains when given alcohol. It was shown that when
given alcohol, there was increase in activity in the central amygdala.
According to their studies, the activity was due to two separate signaling
pathways in the brains. In nondependent rats, their brain activity increased L-type
voltage-gated calcium channels (LTCCs) which boosted the release of GABA, a
neurotransmitter, and when blocked, it reduced voluntary alcohol consumption.
In the alcohol dependent rats, it was the opposite and there was a decrease in
LTCCs. They researchers had found that a stress hormone (CRF) and its type 1
receptor (CRF1) drove the increase of activity and by blocking the CRF1s,
voluntary alcohol consumption had decreased.
This could help researchers in developing more personalized
treatments to those who have problems with alcoholism by seeing how the
individual’s brain react to the different therapeutics. I think this would be
great for those who seek out help if they have an alcohol problem. It would
make it less stressful to go through therapy knowing what happens to the brain and
how it could be addressed.
Scripps Research Institute. "Surprising brain change appears to drive alcohol dependence." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 April 2017.
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