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Details on the next ABSS webinar…
November, 2026: ABSS Webinar
The ABSS will held a webinar on Thursday 12th November (1:00pm AEST).
Dr Connie (Nga Yan) Tse from the Monash University will present on “An Insula-centred network explains craving in alcohol use disorder”.
ZOOM DETAILS
Link: https://uqz.zoom.uz/j/87151948226
Abstract: Craving is a key driver of relapse in alcohol use disorder (AUD), yet its underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this talk, I will present findings from three independent cohorts (Discovery n = 35; Replication n = 29; ENIGMA-Addiction n = 410), using dynamical causal modelling (DCM) to examine brain connectivity during alcohol cue exposure. Across all cohorts, an anterior insula-centred model best explained cue-related brain responses. Alcohol cues reduced connectivity between the anterior insula and prefrontal cortex, with greater reductions associated with stronger craving. I will also present findings from a sham-controlled crossover trial of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS; n = 15), in which active stimulation modulated these connections, and greater circuit normalisation was associated with reduced craving and alcohol consumption. Together, these findings identify anterior insula-prefrontal connectivity as a reproducible neural mechanism of craving and a potential target for interventions in AUD.