Mar. 26, 2003 PORTLAND, Ore. – Researchers at Oregon Health &
Science University (OHSU) have discovered a new region of the
brain involved in chronic alcohol consumption. This research may
be used to develop new or improved drugs and therapies aimed at
combating alcoholism. The finding also presents a more complete
picture of the brain's important role in alcohol abuse. The
research, which is printed in the March 25 edition of the
Journal of Neuroscience, centers on a peptide called urocortin.
The peptide is connected to alcohol craving. Scientists at OHSU
and collaborators at Indiana University tracked urocortin to a
group of brain cells located in the midbrain. The group of cells
is called the Edinger-Westphal (EW) nucleus. "This research is
the first to tie this region of the brain to alcohol abuse,"
said Andrey Ryabinin, Ph.D., an assistant professor of
behavioral neuroscience in the OHSU School of Medicine and
senior author of the paper. "It is also the first time urocortin
levels have been tied to alcoh