Beer and the Brain

     The department of Neurology at the Indiana University School of Medicine decided to conduct an experiment using 49 right-handed males that were all beer drinkers, and according to themselves were in good physical and mental health. The experiment was used to determine if the flavor of beer could cause changes in ventral striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability. Beer, Gatorade, and water were used on the test subjects and were sprayed into their mouths (15 mL over 15 minutes) using a gustometer. At certain times, the subjects were asked how strong their cravings for beer were and how many beers they wanted to drink at that moment. A PET scanner was used to monitor the subjects brain activity when each liquid was sprayed into their mouths.

     The results included, the flavor properties and desire to drink did not correlate with binding potentials of dopamine. The results also included that the test of an alcoholic drink that is preferred by the drinker can increase dopamine transmission in the brain. However, family history in the individuals did affect binding potentials, positive family history was more likely to affect the binding potentials of the dopamine in a positive way versus negative family history did not cause more binding potentials. It is important to remember that in every experiment there are factors involved that can alter the results.

     The whole point of this experiment is to determine addiction properties of alcohol and what causes people to desire alcohol. Even though alcohol has been around for a very long time there is still very little known about addiction and the brain involving alcohol. There are many factors involved in a person being or becoming addicted to alcohol. It is very important to continue to do research and find out exactly what causes people to become so easily addicted to alcohol and then not be able to overcome the addiction later in life or always having the desire to have a drink even after being sober for a long period of time.

Oberlin, B., Dzemidzic, M., Tran, S., Soeurt, C., Albrecht, D., Yoder, K., & Kareken, D. (2013). Beer Flavor Provokes Striatal Dopamine Release in Male Drinkers: Mediation by Family History of Alcohlism. Neuropsychopharmacology, 38, 1617-1624.


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