Neural Mechanism Identified That Drives Increased Alcohol Use in Isolated Male Mice
A study in mice has found that loneliness can reprogram the brain in ways that promote alcohol consumption, and identified a neural mechanism through which isolation escalates alcohol use in male mice, but suppresses it in females. The post Neural Mechanism Identified That Drives Increased Alcohol Use in Isolated Male Mice appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .
A Northwestern University-led research team and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have pinpointed a neural mechanism that drives increased alcohol consumption in isolated male mice. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, reveals that the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) play a key role in this phenomenon, with males showing heightened activity while females exhibited reduced activity.
The researchers discovered that social isolation increased excitability in the BLA-mPFC pathway in males but decreased it in females, leading to altered alcohol drinking patterns. This finding provides a biological target for understanding and potentially treating alcohol misuse resulting from isolation, which is becoming increasingly common.
The study also highlights the rising prevalence of social isolation and its links to substance misuse, emphasizing the brain's sensitivity to social experiences.
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