Title: |
Cannabidiol mitigates alcohol dependence and withdrawal with neuroprotective effects in the basolateral amygdala and striatum |
Authors: |
Selen Dirik, Michelle R. Doyle, Courtney P. Wood, Paola Campo, Angelica R. Martinez, McKenzie Fannon, Maria G. Balaguer, Spencer Seely, Bryan A. Montoya, Gregory M. R. Cook, Gabrielle M. Palermo, Junjie Lin, Madelyn D. Sist, Parsa K. Naghshineh, Zihang Lan, Sara R. M. U. Rahman, Raymond Suhandynata, Paul Schweitzer, Marsida Kallupi, and Giordano de Guglielmo. |
Year: | 2025 |
Journal: |
Neuropsychopharmacology |
A new study led by Selen Dirik, Dr. Giordano de Guglielmo and others at the University of California, San Diego investigated whether cannabidiol (CBD) could reduce alcohol dependence and prevent relapse in mice. The research team used two complementary rodent models—chronic intermittent ethanol exposure and ethanol vapor self-administration—to capture different aspects of Alcohol Use Disorder.
In the study, rats were administered CBD (30 or 60 mg/kg) daily for several weeks. CBD significantly reduced alcohol consumption during withdrawal and decreased motivation to drink, as measured by operant self-administration and progressive ratio tasks. It also reduced withdrawal-related symptoms such as anxiety-like behavior, somatic signs (e.g., tremors, limb retraction), and mechanical sensitivity to pain. Notably, CBD blocked stress-induced relapse triggered by yohimbine, a pharmacological stressor.
The researchers found that CBD normalized alcohol-induced disruptions in neuronal excitability within the basolateral amygdala—a brain region associated with emotion and addiction. In addition, CBD prevented alcohol-induced neurodegeneration in key brain regions involved in motivation and habit formation, including the nucleus accumbens shell and dorsomedial striatum. These protective effects did not extend to the nucleus accumbens core or dorsolateral striatum, suggesting some regional specificity.
Importantly, CBD did not enhance the sedative effects of alcohol or alter alcohol metabolism. It also had no effect on reward-seeking behavior unrelated to alcohol, such as saccharin self-administration.
The findings suggest CBD’s therapeutic potential for Alcohol Use Disorder, with evidence for both behavioral and neurobiological benefits. Although further research in humans is needed, the results provide a promising foundation for future clinical trials.
Read the full study here.
Citation: Dirik S, Doyle MR, Wood CP, Campo P, Martinez AR, Fannon M, Balaguer MG, et al. Cannabidiol mitigates alcohol dependence and withdrawal with neuroprotective effects in the basolateral amygdala and striatum. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41386-025-02164-6.