For some individuals who abstain from alcohol, the urge to drink can increase, potentially leading to relapse. A study found that during abstinence in mice, certain brain regions showed changes in activity, suggesting potential new screening opportunities for those at risk of relapse.
Researchers studied how mice behaved after being given long-term access to alcohol followed by a forced abstinence period. They discovered that some mice developed aversion-resistant alcohol intake, drinking larger quantities despite the added bitterness of the alcohol. Additionally, these mice showed increased activity in a specific brain region called the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), which is implicated in alcohol use disorder symptoms such as anxiety and depression. The study found that abstinent mice who had developed a taste for very bitter alcohol had more than double the BNST activity compared to those who did not experience forced abstinence.
The findings suggest that screening for BNST activity when someone is given access to alcohol might help identify individuals at risk of relapsing, as this activity was observed even before the mice were exposed to the bitter alcohol. However, it remains unclear exactly how the BNST area of the brain contributes to behavior related to alcohol use disorder and what drives the increase in its activity. Further research is needed to understand these mechanisms better and potentially develop new treatment targets based on these findings.