New animal studies found that stopping even moderate drinking can lead to depression and a reduced capacity of the brain to produce neurons.  However, antidepressant drugs can correct both situations.

Researchers at the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies at the University of North Carolina found that withdrawal from alcohol produced deep depressive symptoms in mice, which could be related to a significant drop in the number of new neural stem cells in their brains.

"This research provides the first evidence that long-term abstinence from moderate alcohol drinking -rather than drinking per se- leads to a negative mood state," said Dr. Clyde Hodge, lead author of the study.

Dr. Hodge and his colleagues found that if they administered antidepressant drugs to the animals, they showed no sign of depression and restored their capacity to produce new neural cells.

This study appeared in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
 

Labels: alcohol, depression

Posted By: Jane St. Clair