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alcohol use disorder

·June 3, 2025·7 min read

Ibudilast Fails to Beat Placebo in Alcoholism Trial, Except in Women

A recent clinical trial found that ibudilast, a drug once promising for alcohol use disorder, was no more effective than a placebo overall. While all participants reduced their drinking, women on ibudilast showed a greater drop in drinks per day, hinting at a gender-specific benefit.

This shows outlines of people and glasses.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 7, 2025·4 min read

Social Drinking, Not Solitary, Drives Most Alcohol-Related Harm

New research challenges the stereotype of the solitary drinker, showing that social drinking plays a central role in the development and consequences of alcohol use disorder. Studies reveal people consistently drink more in social settings, where heavy drinking often leads to serious harms like violence, risky sex, and traffic fatalities.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 4, 2025·12 min read

Why Alcohol Hits Women Harder

Alcohol use among women has surged to match men’s rates, but women face far greater health risks even at lower consumption levels. A growing body of research is uncovering key neurobiological sex differences that influence why and how women drink, with stress being a more prominent motivator for women.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 20, 2024·4 min read

How Alcohol Impairs the Brain’s Ability to Adapt and Learn

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) disrupts cognitive flexibility, crucial for learning and adapting to change. New research reveals that chronic alcohol exposure alters the firing patterns of cholinergic interneurons (CINs), key neurons in the brain’s striatum that regulate dopamine and influence reward-driven learning.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 27, 2024·4 min read

Does Alcohol Consumption Contribute to Hair Loss?

A systematic review and meta-analysis explored whether alcohol consumption influences androgenetic alopecia (AGA), the most common form of hair loss. The study found a modest association between drinking and AGA, with drinkers 1.4 times more likely to experience AGA than non-drinkers, though the link was not statistically significant.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 27, 2024·4 min read

Finger Lengths May Reveal Insights Into Drinking Habits

The relative lengths of your fingers might be linked to your alcohol consumption patterns. Researchers found that individuals with longer 4th (ring) fingers relative to 2nd (index) fingers, indicating high prenatal testosterone exposure, are more likely to consume alcohol.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 12, 2024·5 min read

After the Pandemic, Alcohol Use Remains Elevated

U.S. alcohol use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and has stayed elevated post-pandemic, posing serious health risks. Heavy drinking rose by 20% during the pandemic, and the increase continued in 2022. This trend spanned across most demographics, with the highest rise among adults aged 40-49.

This shows a man's face and broken bottles.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·November 5, 2024·5 min read

Gene Study Links Alcohol Addiction to Accelerated Alzheimer’s Progression

Researchers discovered alcohol use disorder (AUD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) exhibit similar patterns of gene dysregulation, hinting that alcohol consumption may hasten Alzheimer’s progression. By analyzing gene expression across individual brain cells, the team found shared disruptions in inflammation, cell signaling, and blood vessel functions in both disorders.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 11, 2024·5 min read

Higher IQ in High School Linked to Increased Alcohol Use in Adulthood

A new study shows that individuals with higher IQs in high school are more likely to consume alcohol moderately or heavily later in life, though less likely to binge drink. This connection may be due to social factors, such as income level and career stress, that often accompany higher IQs. Researchers used data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, revealing that each IQ point increase correlated with a 1.6% rise in moderate or heavy drinking.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 23, 2024·4 min read

Memory Cues May Help Reduce Alcohol Consumption

A study suggests that recalling past alcohol experiences before drinking can slow down consumption, indicating a potential strategy to reduce alcohol intake. In the study, women who remembered a previous drinking episode took longer to consume an alcoholic beverage, possibly due to reduced motivation to drink. This approach, along with strong health warnings, may offer new methods to curb excessive alcohol consumption. Further research is needed to explore this effect in males.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·August 8, 2024·5 min read

Parental Alcohol Use Linked to Early Aging in Kids

Children of parents with alcohol use disorders inherit early aging symptoms, including high cholesterol, heart problems, arthritis, and early-onset dementia. This effect is worse if both parents have alcohol issues, especially in male offspring, due to mitochondrial dysfunction inherited from parents. Researchers suggest that improving mitochondrial health through exercise and vitamin intake could help delay these effects.

This shows a woman drinking with friends.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 6, 2024·6 min read

Social Drinking Activates Dopamine and Elevates Mood

New research reveals why alcohol makes people feel happier in social settings but not when drinking alone. Using fruit flies, scientists discovered that dopamine in the brain plays a key role in amplifying the euphoric effects of alcohol during social interactions.