Forced abstinence doubles BNST activity in mice that drink bitter alcohol
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Mice forced to abstain from alcohol after long-term access developed aversion-resistant drinking, consuming larger quantities of quinine-laced alcohol than mice without forced abstinence. When returned to the alcohol setting, abstinent mice attempted to drink from a water-only spout, and this behavior was linked to heightened activity in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Mice that drank the bitter alcohol showed more than double the BNST activity of mice without forced abstinence, even before alcohol access.
Key Facts
- A subset of mice with long-term voluntary alcohol access developed aversion-resistant drinking after forced abstinence, consuming larger quantities of quinine-laced alcohol than mice without forced abstinence.
- Abstinent mice that drank bitter alcohol showed more than double the BNST activity of mice without forced abstinence, even before alcohol access.
- Deaths associated with alcohol use in 2024 were 4.5 times higher than deaths attributed to opioids.
- Over 80% of Americans age 12 and older consume alcohol at some point, and around 10% develop alcohol use disorder, amounting to almost 30 million people.
Aversion-Resistant Drinking
Researchers studied mice given long-term voluntary access to alcohol followed by a forced abstinence period. A subset of mice developed aversion-resistant alcohol intake, drinking alcohol despite quinine added to make it increasingly bitter. Compared to mice without forced abstinence, these mice drank even larger quantities of the very bitter alcohol. The results suggest potential bodily challenges associated with abstinence contribute to relapses in alcohol use disorder.
BNST Activity
Researchers monitored activity in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region implicated in alcohol use disorder symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Allowing abstinent mice to reenter the setting where alcohol was previously available led them to attempt to drink even though the spout contained only water. These attempts were associated with activity in the BNST. Abstinent mice that had developed a taste for very bitter alcohol had more than double the BNST activity compared to mice that did not experience forced abstinence. BNST activity was observed even before abstinent mice were given access to the bitter alcohol, suggesting screening for BNST activity could identify relapse risk.
Public Health Context
Alcohol misuse is one of the top public health challenges in the United States, and the public chronically underestimates its seriousness. Deaths associated with alcohol use in 2024 were 4.5 times higher than deaths attributed to opioids. Over 80% of Americans age 12 and older consume alcohol at some point in their lives, and around 10% go on to experience alcohol use disorder. This 10% amounts to almost 30 million people in need of treatment. The number of people diagnosed with alcohol use disorder has effectively doubled in the U.S. since 1999.
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Forced abstinence doubles BNST activity in mice that drink bitter alcohol
