Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that stress alters the brain’s reward system in rats, causing the rodents to self-medicate with alcohol.
The study, published in the journal Neuron, could be used to help people better understand post-traumatic stress disorder.
“This line of research has implications for people with PTSD who have an increased risk for overuse of alcohol and drugs,” lead researcher Dr. John Dani, chair of the department of neuroscience in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a press release.
Dani and a team of researchers used a rat model to explore the relationship between stress signaling and substance use. The rodents were exposed to acute stress for an hour. Fifteen hours later, scientists measured the amount of sugar water laced with ethanol the rats consumed.
The results showed that rats exposed to stress exhibited a weakened dopamine response, which caused them to drink more to relieve stress than the control group.
Scientists also found a change in neuron physiology for the rodents in the experimental group. Their neurons became more excitable over time, causing the rats to drink more ethanol-laced water. When researchers gave the rats a chemical called CLP290, the stress-altered circuitry returned to normal levels.
Dani said the findings could be used to develop treatment methods for people with PTSD. The team is developing compounds designed to normalize neuron activity to help control the overconsumption of alcohol.
The Link Between Stress and Alcohol
Previous research also associates stress with drinking.
A 2011 study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research evaluated the relationship between alcohol and stress by giving alcohol intravenously.
Researchers put 25 healthy men into a stressful or non-stressful situation. One group of participants received alcohol within one minute of completing tasks, followed by placebo 30 minutes later. In the other group, the alcohol and placebo infusions were reversed.
The results indicated that stress did not change the subjective effects of drinking in either group. But stress did alter the stimulant-like and sedative effects of alcohol.
A 2012 study published in Alcohol Research: Current Reviews also analyzed the relationship between stress and alcohol consumption. However, this study established a clear relationship between stress and drinking.
Researchers investigated numerous stressors occurring in the past year among a group of men and women and the relationship between those stressors and drinking. The results indicated that individuals who reported higher levels of stress tended to drink more.
The report found that men tended to drink to deal with stress more often than women. More than 61 percent of male participants who experienced six past-year stressors engaged in binge drinking, compared to 39.2 percent of female participants with six past-year stressors.
More than 56 percent of male participants with nine past-year stressors had an alcohol addiction, compared to 46.1 percent of female participants with the same number of stressors.
Nearly 97 percent of male respondents with nine past-year stressors were current drinkers. For women, the figure was 86.9 percent.
The report also referred to research indicating that lesbian, gay and bisexual people have higher rates of alcohol use when they perceive that they have experienced discrimination.
Coping with Stress
For many adults, moderate alcohol consumption generally is not harmful. However, heavier drinking can result in alcoholism, a disease characterized by strong cravings for alcohol and an inability to control consumption.
Healthier ways to cope with stress exist. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eating healthy, exercising regularly and getting adequate sleep can help stressful feelings subside. Talking to a loved one, pastor, counselor or doctor about these problems may also help.
For those who cannot control their drinking urges, treatment is available.
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