No. of views : (5143)
New medication may reduce alcohol addiction
Posted on: 04/Oct/2016 10:00:33 AM
Research published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology has said that a new medication that targets part of the brain`s stress system may help reduce alcohol use in people with alcohol use disorder or AUD. The study was conducted by researchers from the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
The researchers conducted a randomised clinical trial of a new compound, called ABT-436, designed to block the effects of vasopressin, a neuropeptide produced in the hypothalamus of the brain. They say, Vasopressin helps to regulate the pituitary adrenal axis and other brain circuits involved in emotion. As such, it plays a role in regulating stress, anxiety, and their interaction with AUD. Our findings suggest that potential future studies with drugs targeting vasopressin blockade should focus on populations of people with AUD who also report high levels of stress. Smokers may be another population that could benefit from ABT-436. In addition to its effects on alcohol consumption, study participants receiving the new compound experienced a reduction in smoking. We suspect that ABT-436 might be targeting the same areas in the brain that relate to withdrawal and stress, and, in the process, influencing both tobacco and alcohol use disorders.
