by
Lauren Dubinsky, Senior Reporter | May 17, 2016
Many people who have been members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) for a long time report little or no craving for alcohol, but the reason has been hard to scientifically understand. Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center peered into the brains of long-term AA members using MR imaging and found increased activity in brain regions that are responsible for attention and emotion — and prayers may be responsible for it.
"This finding suggests that there appears to be an emotional response to alcohol triggers, but that it's experienced and understood differently when someone has the protection of the AA experience," Dr. Marc Galanter, the study’s senior author, professor of psychiatry and director of the division of alcoholism and drug abuse at NYU Langone, said in a statement.
The study included 20 long-term AA members who reported no cravings for alcohol in the week prior. The researchers conducted MR exams on each individual as they were shown either photos of alcoholic drinks or people drinking.
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The photos were displayed two times — after the individuals read neutral material from a newspaper and then again after they recited an AA prayer that encouraged abstinence from alcohol.
The researchers found that all of the individuals reported some degree of craving for alcohol after looking at the images, but less of a craving after praying. The MR images showed changes in the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that controls attention, and in brain regions that control emotion.
Galanter has been studying the role of spirituality in long-term AA members for a decade. He said that the reduction in craving is associated with the amount of time that passes after a “spiritual awakening” in AA, which signifies a transition to a different attitude toward drinking.
He added that these findings open up a new field of inquiry into physiologic changes that may be connect with spiritual awakening and perspective changes in AA members and others.
The findings also suggest the validity of a long-term AA experience.
