Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 25, 2026

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptors and alcoholism: reward, dependence, treatment, and vulnerability
John H Krystal1, Ismene L Petrakis, Graeme Mason
1NIAAA Center for the Translational Neuroscience of Alcoholism, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. john.krystal@yale.edu
Abstract:
This review takes a translational neuroscience perspective on the role of glutamate systems in human ethanol abuse and dependence. Ethanol is a simple molecule with profound effects on many chemical systems in the brain. Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Glutamatergic systems are targets for the actions of ethanol via its antagonism of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of the glutamate receptor and other mechanisms. The modulation of glutamatergic function by ethanol contributes to both euphoric and dysphoric consequences of ethanol intoxication. Adaptations within glutamatergic systems appear to contribute to ethanol tolerance and dependence and to both acute and protracted features of ethanol withdrawal. Perhaps because of the important glutamatergic mediation of the behavioral effects of ethanol, glutamatergic systems appear to contribute to the vulnerability to alcoholism, and novel glutamatergic agents may play a role in the treatment of ethanol abuse and dependence.
More Related Videos
09:29Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods
Published on: August 4, 2022
05:40The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
Published on: April 28, 2022
Related Concept Videos
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism
Antiepileptic Drugs: Glutamate Antagonists
Long-term Potentiation