For many people battling alcohol addiction, finding recovery isn’t the only difficult part; staying in recovery is also extremely hard. Even after treatment, relapse is common, and scientists have long searched for the reason why. Now, researchers at Scripps Research say they may have found a clue deep inside the brain.
In a new study, scientists identified a specific brain circuit that appears to trigger alcohol relapse. They focused on a cluster of brain cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) in rats and discovered that this region became especially active when the animals associated alcohol with relief from withdrawal symptoms.
“This brain region just lit up in every rat that had gone through withdrawal-related learning,” said co-senior author Hermina Nedelescu of Scripps Research in a press release. “It shows us which circuits are recruited when the brain links alcohol with relief from stress—and that could be a game-changer in how we think about relapse.”
By revealing this pathway, the study sheds light on one of addiction’s most stubborn features: drinking not to feel good, but to stop feeling bad.
“What makes addiction so hard to break is that people aren’t simply chasing a high,” said Friedbert Weiss, professor of neuroscience at Scripps Research and senior author of the study. “They’re also trying to get rid of powerful negative states, like the stress and anxiety of withdrawal. This work shows us which brain systems are responsible for locking in that kind of learning, and why it can make relapse so persistent.”
Using advanced imaging technology, researchers scanned entire rat brains and pinpointed which areas became more active in response to alcohol-related cues. The PVT stood out as a key region, known for its role in stress and anxiety.
“The unpleasant effects of alcohol withdrawal are strongly associated with stress, and alcohol provides relief from that state,” said Nedelescu.
Researchers say the discovery could one day lead to new treatments for substance use disorders and other conditions driven by stress or avoidance behaviors, such as anxiety and trauma-related disorders.
“This work has potential applications not only for alcohol addiction, but also other disorders where people get trapped in harmful cycles,” Nedelescu said.
The team plans to continue the research, including investigating which neurochemicals are released in the PVT during these experiences. Researchers say identifying those molecules could open new doors for targeted drug development.
According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 14.5 million people in the United States battle alcohol use disorder — roughly 5 percent of the population aged 12 and older.
