Recent scientific advances have pinpointed a neurochemical that modulates the bitterness perception of alcohol differently in men and women. This breakthrough revolves around the neuropeptide CART, revealing that its suppression leads to increased alcohol intake in males, yet results in a reduced intake in females, barring the presence of sugar in the alcohol. Given the profound implications of alcohol abuse on public health internationally, such findings could lead to the development of tailored treatments for alcohol dependence based on sex.
A team at The Florey Institute has pinpointed a neurochemical that may explain the disparate patterns of alcohol consumption observed between the two sexes.
This disparity is attributed to the differential perception of alcohol’s bitter taste, which could be key in formulating interventions to deter excessive drinking in women.
Sex-Specific Alcohol Intake Patterns
Dr. Leigh Walker spearheaded research indicating that the absence of a specific brain chemical results in men consuming more alcohol and women less. However, this pattern shifts in women with the addition of sweetness to alcoholic beverages.
Dr. Walker, who specializes in the neurobiology of anxiety and alcohol-related disorders, suggests these insights could herald new treatment strategies to assist women in overcoming binge drinking habits.
“The flavor of alcohol significantly influences drinking preferences, consumption levels, and the overall pattern of alcohol use,” stated Dr. Walker.
She indicated that while there has been a predominant focus on the male brain in scientific research, her study, documented in Neuropsychopharmacology, sheds light on potential differences in the female brain’s response to taste. The study focuses on the role of ‘CART’, a neuropeptide common across species, implicated in regulating energy, mood disorders, anxiety, and reward-driven behaviors, including alcohol consumption.
Exploration of Taste Perception and Neurochemistry
Working with graduate researcher Xavier Maddern among other colleagues at The Florey Institute, Dr. Walker examined the effects of CART inhibition in alcohol-trained mice.
Dr. Walker explained, “Alcohol inherently tastes bitter. In male mice, the inhibition of CART led to an uptick in drinking. Conversely, female mice exhibited a decrease in alcohol consumption upon CART inhibition. Yet, when sweetness was introduced, their consumption increased, suggesting that the absence of CART renders alcohol less palatable to females.”
Globally, alcohol is implicated in nearly 3 million deaths annually, with alcohol abuse representing 5.1 percent of the worldwide disease burden. Notably, the prevalence of high-risk drinking and alcohol dependence is escalating more rapidly in women than men.*
Dr. Walker emphasized the potential of targeting the CART neuropeptide system in future research to forge new avenues for mitigating excessive alcohol consumption in women. She also noted that understanding the neurological differences between sexes could revolutionize the treatment of female-specific brain disorders, including those related to alcohol.
Reference: “Cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) mediates sex differences in binge drinking through central taste circuits” by Xavier J. Maddern, Bethany Letherby, Sarah S. Ch’ng, Amy Pearl, Andrea Gogos, Andrew J. Lawrence, and Leigh C. Walker, published on 22 August 2023 in Neuropsychopharmacology.
DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01712-2
This research received funding support from the Jack Brockhoff Foundation.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about fokus keyword: neurochemical alcohol consumption differences
What is the main discovery of the new research on alcohol consumption?
The new research has discovered that the neuropeptide CART plays a role in how the bitterness of alcohol is perceived differently by men and women. It showed that inhibiting this brain chemical leads to an increase in alcohol consumption in males and a decrease in females, unless the alcohol is sweetened, which might help develop gender-specific treatments for alcohol use disorders.
How might the findings of the study on CART impact public health?
Since alcohol misuse has a significant global impact on public health, the findings that pinpoint the role of CART in gender-specific alcohol consumption patterns could lead to the development of targeted treatments for alcohol dependence, potentially reducing the prevalence and consequences of excessive drinking.
Who led the study on the brain chemical that influences alcohol consumption?
Dr. Leigh Walker led the study at The Florey Institute, which investigated the influence of the brain chemical on different drinking behaviors in males and females.
What are the implications of this research for treatment of alcohol use disorders?
The research indicates that understanding how CART affects the perception of alcohol’s bitterness could result in new, more effective treatments, especially for women, by addressing the specific brain chemistry involved in their drinking habits.
Where can one find the published study about the CART neuropeptide’s role in binge drinking?
The study detailing the CART neuropeptide’s role in sex differences in binge drinking can be found in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, published on 22 August 2023.
Who funded the study on the brain chemical affecting alcohol consumption?
The study was funded by the Jack Brockhoff Foundation.
More about fokus keyword: neurochemical alcohol consumption differences
- Neuropeptide CART and Alcohol Consumption
- Gender Differences in Alcohol Intake
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
- Global Impact of Alcohol Misuse on Health
- Understanding Binge Drinking
- The Jack Brockhoff Foundation
6 comments
wow, just read about that CART stuff affecting drinking cuz of bitterness perception, thats kinda mind-blowing really makes you think how we all wired up so different
missed opportunity to discuss how this research could impact current treatment programs. we need less science speak and more real-world application, you know
read the article on the Florey Institute site and it’s super technical, kinda wish these science types would make it easier for regular folks to get the gist without needing a dictionary
Gotta say, I’m a bit skeptical how a single chemical can be this influencial on something as complex as alcohol addiction, there’s gotta be more to it than just taste
not surprised that men and women react differently to alcohol it’s like everything else right but its cool to see science digging into the how and why behind it
anyone else thinking that now there’s gonna be a bunch of sweet alcoholic drinks targeted to women cuz of this study it’s all marketing man