Alcohol Dependence Can Be Reversed, Rat Study Suggests

A specific group of brain cells appears to drive excessive alcohol drinking, and targeting these cells may reverses alcohol dependence, at least in rats, a new study finds. In the study, the researchers trained rats how to self-administer alcohol out of a chamber, and caused some rats to become dependent on alcohol. They found that inactivating these brain cells caused the rats to completely cease their compulsive drinking.