Too much of anything is usually a mistake, when we speak of a substance of abuse so common, and so easy to find as alcohol we can really get in trouble. Why do some indulge in too much drinking while others seem to easily control those urges is a valid question for which there is yet no answer. However, new research in the journal Neuropharmacology points to a single receptor in a single brain area, at least, in mice.

This receptor, the kappa opioid receptor (KOR), was already known to be associated with alcohol abuse, and interestingly is not a receptor related to the pleasurable feelings but with the opposite: stress, anxiety…

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