UMass Chan Medical School research links alcohol abstinence to brain changes

New research conducted by the Winder Lab at UMass Chan Medical School suggests that alcohol abstinence can alter brain circuits in ways that may increase the risk of compulsive drinking and relapse.

In studies involving mice, researchers observed that after a period of forced abstinence following long-term alcohol access, some subjects exhibited intense and persistent alcohol consumption. This behavior continued even when the alcohol was made highly bitter with the addition of quinine, with abstinent mice consuming larger quantities of the bitter liquid compared to those that had not undergone abstinence.

The study focused on the activity of cells within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region connected to the amygdala and hypothalamus that is linked to alcohol use disorder symptoms such as anxiety and depression. The findings indicate that changes associated with abstinence may contribute to the return of problematic consumption behaviors.