Prefrontal electrophysiological biomarkers and mechanism-based drug effects in a rat model of alcohol addiction.
Translational psychiatry December 5, 2024 Bettina Habelt, Dzmitry Afanasenkau, Cindy Schwarz et al. 6 citations
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) impairs prefrontal control mechanisms, leading to reduced inhibitory control and increased relapse risk. Using a biocompatible neuroprosthesis in a rat model of alcohol addiction, researchers measured neural oscillations and event-related potentials during abstinence. Alcohol-dependent rats showed reduced amplitudes of P1N1 and N1P2 components and attenuated event-related oscillatory activity, along with a dominance in higher beta frequencies indicating hyperarousal prone to relapse. Treatment with psilocybin or LY379268 restored these electrophysiological impairments, with psilocybin particularly counteracting the hyperarousal state. These prefrontal markers may serve as indicators of relapse vulnerability and treatment response, especially for psychedelic drugs.