Results from a new study have provided confirmation that alcohol causes the release of endorphins in the pleasure centres of the human brain. The research, published in Science Translational Medicine, is the first of its kind conducted with human subjects to show the link between alcohol consumption and endorphin release in the nucleus accumbens and orbitofrontal cortex, two areas in the brain connected with feelings of pleasure and reward processing. Using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, researchers observed the effects of alcohol on the brains of heavy drinkers and a control group. While alcohol intake induced endorphin release in all of the subjects, heavy drinkers subjectively reported greater feelings of intoxication as high endorphin release was measured in the orbitofrontal cortex.
