Get Addiction Help (888) 804-0917

NIH study finds doctors miss many alcohol screening opportunities

Biological Naturalism states that consciousnes...

Image via Wikipedia


Ñ In order to develop new medications for alcoholism, researchers need to understand how alcohol acts on the brainÕs reward system. A previously unknown mechanism has been shown to block the rewarding effects of alcohol on the brain, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Research has shown that the glycine receptor in the brainÕs reward system plays a role in the development of alcoholism. This receptor normally acts as a brake on the brainÕs communication, and has previously been shown to be heavily implicated in the transmission of pain and in epilepsy. However, this thesis and previous results from the research group at the Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry have shown that the glycine receptor also plays a major role in alcoholism.

Acamprosate is found in an existing medicine for reducing relapses in alcoholics. Unfortunately, this type of medicine works for some patients only and there is a real need for new, more effective medication.

ÒWeÕve chosen to clarify the role of acamprosate in the process and to find out whether this can help us understand how alcohol functions in the brainÕs reward system,Ó says researcher PeiPei Chau from the Sahlgrenska AcademyÕs Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry.

In animal trials with rats, the researchers have seen that acamprosate activates the glycine receptors, so inhibiting the rewarding effects of alcohol, and that it is through this mechanism that acamprosate reduces alcohol consumption.

ÒWeÕve identified a brand new mode of action in an existing medicine, and this helps us to understand better why alcohol dependency can arise in the brain,Ó says Chau. ÒOur results also consolidate the groupÕs previous results which showed that glycine receptors can play a major role in the development of new medicines to treat alcohol dependency.Ó

ScienceDaily

Enhanced by Zemanta


Loading