this protein may be the cause of anxiety when we stop drinking: study
the hope is with further research, the protein (csf1) can be targeted to help people battle mental health issues when cutting down alcohol use.
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researchers found that a protein called colony stimulating factor 1 (csf1), could be used later to treat alcohol use disorder. getty
researchers may have identified a protein in the brain that contributes to the anxiety and the rewarding effects of alcohol in mice with alcohol use disorder (aud). the hope is with further research, this protein can be targeted to help people attempting to stop drinking.
scientists from scripps research, a non-profit medical research facility in california, looked at specific neurons within the medial prefrontal cortex (mpfc) — the area of the brain responsible for inhibition control. this region of the brain is known to change after alcohol use disorder and alcohol withdrawal, which can lead to symptoms of anxiety and behavioural deficits.
“these crf-sensitive mpfc neurons appear to constitute a unique neuronal population that undergoes profound neuroadaptations with chronic alcohol exposure,” pauravi gandhi, co-author on the study, said in a statement.
anxiety and stress linked to relapse after attempt to stop drinking
the research indicates that a protein called colony stimulating factor 1 (csf1), could be used later to target alcohol use disorder treatment. their research was published in the journal molecular psychiatry.
“alcohol withdrawal activates the stress system in the brain, which contributes to relapse, and in this study, we linked this stress response to csf1, a neuroimmune mediator, opening up new opportunities for therapeutic intervention,” senior author of the study marisa roberto said.
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in mice going through alcohol withdrawal, the functioning of specific neurons within the mpfc decreased while csf1 gene activity began to increase. previous research in mice suggests that under stress, csf1 production rises in the area of the brain called the mpfc. this can increase feelings of anxiety and depression, as well as induce behavioural deficits linked to alcohol.
“targeting csf1 therefore may be a good strategy for treating aud, and we’re now eager to test that in our preclinical models,” reesha patel, first author of the study, said.
alcohol use on the rise in canada
as of 2018, 19.1 per cent of canadians age 12 and older reported alcohol consumption that classified them as heavy drinkers, according to statistics canada. men were more likely to report heavy drinking than women, and the most common age group for both sexes was between 18 and 34 years old.
alcohol is the most commonly used substance in canada, according to the calgary dream centre. approximately 21 per cent of people in canada, roughly six million people, will experience a form of substance abuse disorder at some point in their lives.
alcohol use in canada has steadily increased in women since 2013, the calgary dream centre says.
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in may of 2020, just after the covid pandemic started, 60 per cent of people reported increased alcohol consumption, according to a study published in the national library of medicine.
participants in that study reported consuming 26.8 alcoholic drinks on 12.2 days out of 30. reasons for the increase in drinking included stress, increased alcohol availability, and boredom. those who reported being stressed about the pandemic reported more drinks over more days, which peaked researchers concerts about health both for the individual and for the public. one third of the participants reported binge drinking, and seven per cent reported extreme binge drinking as well.
chris arnold is a writer with healthing.
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