Scientists hunt for neurons responsible for alcohol withdrawal

When a heavy alcohol drinker tries to take a night off, their body protests, with shaky hands, heart palpitations, anxiety and headaches. These acute symptoms of alcohol withdrawal -- but even more so the enduring emotional distress that lingers into protracted abstinence -- are one reason people with alcohol use disorders have a hard time quitting. Now, scientists have made new headway in understanding the basis of alcohol withdrawal in the brain.