Direct Link Between Stress and Addiction Found
Neuroscience News • • health
Key Points:
- Researchers at Texas A&M identified a direct neural pathway connecting the brain's stress centers—the central amygdala (CeA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST)—to the dorsal striatum, which governs habits and decision-making.
- Stress signals are transmitted via the chemical corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), which activates cholinergic interneurons (CINs) in the dorsal striatum to promote behavioral flexibility and thoughtful decision-making under stress.
- Alcohol disrupts this system by weakening CINs' response to CRF, impairing the brain's ability to adapt during stress and leading to rigid, habitual behaviors such as compulsive drinking.
- This disruption explains why stress is a common trigger for addiction relapse and why withdrawal periods heighten vulnerability to stress-induced relapse.
- The findings offer a potential target for future addiction treatments aimed at restoring CRF signaling and CIN function to improve stress resilience and reduce relapse risk.
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