Brain chemist determines who will drink

• May 19, 2024

The differences in brain chemistry could help explain why some people with a strong family history of alcoholism , they do not become alcoholics , while others with the same high risk environment become dependents of alcohol, according to a US government study published in Archives of General Psychiatry.

This research found that the high levels of D2 receivers of the dopamine , a messenger chemical in the reward circuits of brain could protect some people at high risk of developing alcoholism .

"The high levels of D2 receivers of the dopamine could offer protection against alcoholism , by activating the circuits of the brain involved in the inhibition of behavioral responses for the presence of alcohol "explained the study author Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

By means of scanners of the brain , Volkow and other scientists detected elevated levels of D2 receivers of the dopamine in 15 people who were not alcoholic , but they had a family history of abuse of this substance.

These high levels of D2 receptors were especially evident in the frontal regions of the brain , who are involved in the emotional reactions to stress and to cognitive control , to make decisions about drinking.

The results of the research translate into treatment strategies for the alcoholism , which increase D2 receivers of the dopamine , could be beneficial for individuals at risk of suffering from this addiction , according to the specialist.

Video Medicine: Effects of Alcohol on the Brain, Animation, Professional version. (May 2024).