A brain protein called brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) appears to play a role in both addiction and anxiety, HealthDay News reported Aug. 9.

Subhash Pandey of the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center noted that "alcoholism is very frequently associated with anxiety disorders. And it is well established that high levels of anxiety promote alcohol consumption and also play a crucial role in relapse to alcohol drinking. Our study suggests a molecular, neurochemical mechanism in the amygdala which may be responsible for the association of high levels of anxiety with excessive alcohol-drinking behavior."

The researchers suppressed BDNF levels in the central and middle amygdala of the brains of rats, and found that doing so increased anxiety and alcohol consumption. When BDNF levels were restored to normal, anxiety and alcohol use eased.

The research by Pandey and colleagues was published in the Aug. 9, 2006 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.