Australian researchers have found a system in the brain that stops the craving for alcohol which they say can be used to help people quit drinking and not relapse after they stop. A group of cells in the hypothalamus produce Orexin, which is involved with the "high" associated with using alcohol and drugs. Using rats, scientists at Melbourne’s Howard Florey Institute found they could block Orexin's euphoric effects."In one experiment, rats that had alcohol freely available to them stopped drinking it after receiving the Orexin blocker." Dr. Andrew Lawrence said in a news release. "In another experiment, rats that had gone through a detox program and were then given the Orexin blocking drug, did not relapse into alcohol addiction when they were reintroduced to an environment in which they had been conditioned to associate with alcohol use." If the Florey team can develop a drug to block the Orexin system in humans, they believe they will able to stop an alcoholic's craving for alcohol.
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