(Thespiritsbusiness) - Researchers have identified a circuit in the brain which “controls” binge drinking, and believe that by inhibiting the system with medication the behaviour can be treated.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have discovered a ‘feedback loop’ between the extended amygdala – a region of the brain known to respond to psychological stress and anxiety – and the ventral segmental area, which is linked to the brain’s reward system.

The study, which was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, is the first of its kind to identify a functional circuit between the regions – and additionally presents direct evidence that inhibiting this circuit prevents binge drinking.

The two areas are connected by long projection of neurons which produce a chemical called corticotropin releasing factor (CRF).

Using mice, researchers showed that when alcohol is consumed, the extended amygdala is activated and releases CRF, which then acts on the ventral tegmental area to promote continued drinking.

This means when a person drinks, the circuit is activated and causes a ‘feedback loop’ whereby the more alcohol is consumed, the more the brain is rewarded by the ventral segmental area – resulting in a “binge”.

Todd Thiele, UNC-Chapel Hill’s department of psychology and neuroscience, said: “The puzzle is starting to come together, and is telling us more than we ever knew before. We now know that two brain regions that modulate stress and reward are part of a functional circuit that controls binge drinking and adds to the idea that manipulating the CRF system is an avenue for treating it.

“It’s very important that we continue to try to identify alternative targets for treating alcohol use disorders.