Alcohol and Dopamine
ثبت نشده
چکیده
Because alcohol is a small molecule it interacts with many neurotransmitter systems in the brain; this makes the action of alcohol in the brain very different from and much more complex than large molecules such as opiates, THC, or amphetamine which simulate a specific neurotransmitter and interact with a specific neurotransmitter system. Some of the better researched neurotransmitter systems with which alcohol interacts are the following:
منابع مشابه
Reduced Dopamine Transporter Availability and Neurocognitive Deficits in Male Patients with Alcohol Dependence
Dopamine plays an important role in the development of alcohol dependence, cognitive dysfunction, and is regulated via dopamine transporter activity. Although dopamine transporter activity is critically involved in alcohol dependence, studies observing this relationship are limited. Thus the current study examined whether dopamine transporter availability is associated with developing of alcoho...
متن کاملElucidating the biological basis for the reinforcing actions of alcohol in the mesolimbic dopamine system: the role of active metabolites of alcohol
The development of successful pharmacotherapeutics for the treatment of alcoholism is predicated upon understanding the biological action of alcohol. A limitation of the alcohol research field has been examining the effects of alcohol only and ignoring the multiple biological active metabolites of alcohol. The concept that alcohol is a "pro-drug" is not new. Alcohol is readily metabolized to ac...
متن کاملNicotine Decreases Ethanol-Induced Dopamine Signaling and Increases Self-Administration via Stress Hormones
Tobacco smoking is a well-known risk factor for subsequent alcohol abuse, but the neural events underlying this risk remain largely unknown. Alcohol and nicotine reinforcement involve common neural circuitry, including the mesolimbic dopamine system. We demonstrate in rodents that pre-exposure to nicotine increases alcohol self-administration and decreases alcohol-induced dopamine responses. Th...
متن کاملDopamine D(2) receptor availability is associated with subjective responses to alcohol.
BACKGROUND The mesolimbic dopaminergic system is thought to mediate alcohol abuse and dependence. Determining the relationship between in vivo dopamine and the subjective response to alcohol could improve understanding of the mechanisms that lead to alcohol abuse and dependence. Here, we examined the relationship between dopamine D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens and scores of perceived "hi...
متن کاملDopamine D1 receptor blockade impairs alcohol seeking without reducing dorsal striatal activation to cues of alcohol availability
INTRODUCTION Alcohol-associated cues activate both ventral and dorsal striatum in functional brain imaging studies of heavy drinkers. In rodents, alcohol-associated cues induce changes in neuronal firing frequencies and increase dopamine release in ventral striatum, but the impact of alcohol-associated cues on neuronal activity in dorsal striatum is unclear. We previously reported phasic change...
متن کاملRasgrf2 controls dopaminergic adaptations to alcohol in mice.
Alcohol abuse leads to serious health problems with no effective treatment available. Recent evidence suggests a role for ras-specific guanine-nucleotide releasing factor 2 (RASGRF2) in alcoholism. Rasgrf2 is a calcium sensor and MAPK/ERK activating protein, which has been linked to neurotransmitter release and monoaminergic receptor adaptations. Rasgrf2 knock out (KO) mice do not develop a dop...
متن کامل