Hangover molecule discovered in brain

Perfect post for a summer Sunday morning. Isn’t science wonderful? Makes me wonder how the research in to stupidity and impulsiveness is going.

Random image of someone about to have a hangover. Even though it could be a staged image it's better than the standard man with an ice bag on his head.

Scientists determine brain molecule that causes hangovers
BY Tracy Miller  |  DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER |  May 11th 2010, 1:11 PM  |  www.nydailynews.com

Barflies, meet your worst enemy: the neuropeptide.

The brain-signalling molecule has been determined by scientists as the source of hangovers, according to a study from the University of Southampton School of Biological Sciences.

From studying worms – whose simple brains are similar in makeup to the human brain – the scientists were able to see how alcohol affects signalling in the brain, triggering withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, agitation and seizures, according to LiveScience.

“This research showed the worms displaying effects of the withdrawal of alcohol and enables us to define how alcohol affects signalling in nerve circuits which leads to changes in behavior,” said professor and lead researcher Lindy Holden-Dye.

Small doses of alcohol during withdrawal – aka the “hair of the dog” cure – did help ease the worms’ hangover symptoms, but scientists cautioned that this approach increases risk of alcohol dependency. The study is the most specific to date in pinpointing exactly where and how alcohol consumption affects the nervous system and the brain, according to LiveScience.