PULLMAN, Wash. – Researchers at Washington State University are exploring a new approach to treating alcohol withdrawal syndrome, focusing on the cerebellum, a part of the brain often overlooked in addiction studies.
Nadia McLean, who is leading the study, highlighted the significance of the cerebellum in alcohol use. “The cerebellum is one of the most sensitive brain regions to alcohol use. And so we were really interested in how we also know that the cerebellum is attached to a lot of the reward centers in the brain,” McLean said.
Traditionally, research has focused on the brain’s reward centers, such as the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. David Rossi, who collaborates with McLean, emphasized the importance of their approach. “And so it seemed like a neglected area of brain that’s probably contributing to the overall process. We’re not suggesting the cerebellum is doing all this on its own. It’s probably through its communication with those others, but it may be a driver of some of the aspects we’re interested in,” Rossi said.
The study uses a synthetic compound developed by chemists in Austria, targeting receptors specific to the cerebellum. McLean explained the potential of this compound. “We knew that there was… selective receptors that would do what we think would counteract what we’ve already seen as an adaptation to alcohol use disorder. And we just reached out and said, hey, we think your compound is really cool and we think we have a therapeutic application for it,” McLean said.
In their experiments, researchers induce alcohol dependency in mice using vaporized ethanol, allowing them to study withdrawal symptoms and potential treatments. The study aims to address the often-overlooked phase of alcohol withdrawal, which can be severe and drive individuals back to drinking.
“I was really interested in withdrawal because it is incredibly aversive. And, in a minor sense, alcohol withdrawal is a hangover, which sucks and isn’t very pleasant. But in someone with alcohol use disorder, it’s incredibly severe. It can lead to seizures. It’s this very aversive context that can drive people back to drinking,” McLean said.
The team is optimistic about the potential applications of their findings. “We definitely want to further characterize this compound and how it impacts other aspects of alcohol withdrawal. Does it reduce drinking behavior, which is something we haven’t yet tested? So if will it reduce animals seeking alcohol when they’re going through the subversive withdrawal stage? And you know, I think really in the long term, we could start talking about human trials, but it is a very long process to go from the discovery of a compound to integrating it into a human clinical trials,” McLean said.
Continuing the research will come with a cost, a challenge the researchers acknowledge, but they are hopeful they can secure interest to continue their work.
Learn more about the study here.
