Serotonin is another chemical produced in the brain in reaction to a food, drink or activity. In some animals, alcohol doesn't appear to trigger serotonin's effect. Behavioral factors Scientists also found that lab animals appear to drink to relieve anxiety. Rats that have consumed alcohol are more likely than sober rats to venture into elevated mazes or carry on normal social interactions in unfamiliar and brightly lit environments. They also found other factors in animal drinking.
Rats drink more if they have subordinate social status or early social isolation.
In rhesus monkeys, the emotional stress of social separation during adolescence increases drinking patterns during adulthood. Changing the chemistry Scientists also were curious about alcohol withdrawal. They cut off alcohol-dependent animals and watched dopamine levels in their brains drop. Then they gave the animals a chance to get drunk. Even more intriguing, they said, was that relapses could be blocked by the anti-relapse drug acamprosate.