Pullman Study Advances Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment

Researchers in Pullman, Washington are exploring a potential breakthrough in alcohol withdrawal treatment. The study, being led by doctoral researcher Nadia McLean in Washington State University’s Department of Integrative Physiology, could reshape how withdrawal is understood and managed during detox.

The team has been looking at the impact of alcohol use and withdrawal on the cerebellum. Their study involved inducing a form of alcohol dependency in mice, after which they administered a synthetic compound developed in Austria that targets selective receptors found only in the cerebellum.

Washington State Changes the Game in Alcohol Withdrawal Research

McLean and her team noticed that most studies that had to do with alcohol withdrawal focused on the traditional reward centers of the brain, like the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. However, since the cerebellum is connected to many of these structures and is responsible for many tasks, including balance and coordinating movement, this region seemed overlooked in alcoholism studies. 

The cerebellum also has unique receptors that can adapt to alcohol use and, since it helps a lot with movement, may be greatly affected by severe alcohol use and withdrawal. David Rossi, a member of this research team, noted that they are not assuming that the cerebellum is solely or primarily responsible for what individuals experience as severe alcohol withdrawal. However, they do think that it plays a much more important role than it has been given credit for in similar studies.

If proven effective, this discovery could help improve outcomes in medical alcohol detox programs, where managing withdrawal symptoms safely is the first and most critical step.

Hopeful Outcomes for Pullman and Beyond

McLean acknowledges that a minor form of withdrawal from alcohol can be characterized as a hangover, but that when a person has had an alcohol use disorder, withdrawal symptoms can be severe (even leading to seizures in some cases). 

This severity, she argues, often pushes individuals back to drinking. With this new compound, her aim is to see whether its administration will reduce alcohol seeking behavior in animals before, hopefully, seeking clearance for human trials.

If you’re ready to take the first step toward sobriety, help is available. Find an accredited alcohol detox center in your community or call 800-996-6135(Sponsored) today.