Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine

CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine

Ethanol, a clear colorless alcohol, has been consumed by humans for millennia, but its effects on the body are far from benign. At lower doses, it induces decreased inhibitions and loquaciousness, leading to its social appeal. However, it can cause severe consequences at higher doses, such as coma and respiratory depression, due to its zero-order elimination kinetics. Chronic ethanol abuse wreaks havoc on multiple organ systems, particularly the CNS and the liver. Abrupt cessation of ethanol...

Drug Dependence

Drug Dependence

Medications are typically administered to achieve therapeutic effects. Some drugs can modify an individual's mood and perception, frequently resulting in various enjoyable experiences. However, this can result in drug dependency, a condition marked by continuous drug use despite potential negative consequences. Drug dependency primarily falls into two categories: psychological and physical dependence. Psychological dependence occurs when the pleasurable feelings induced by the drug...

Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena

Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena

Drug dependence, abuse, and addiction are complex phenomena that can precipitate various abnormal states. Physical dependence refers to a state of pharmacological adaptation to a drug. This adaptation often results in tolerance—a reduced response to the drug after repeated administrations. When the drug use is abruptly stopped, withdrawal symptoms occur due to the body's need to readjust from the pharmacologically induced imbalance. However, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms do not necessarily...

Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment

Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment

Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is pathologically identified by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of tau protein. AD pharmacotherapy aims to manage cognitive symptoms, delay disease progression, and treat behavioral symptoms. The treatment is primarily symptomatic and palliative, with no definitive disease-modifying therapy available. Cholinesterase inhibitors, including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Razadyne), are...

Antiepileptic Drugs: Glutamate Antagonists

Antiepileptic Drugs: Glutamate Antagonists

Glutamate is a fundamental neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, playing a vital role in neuronal communication and various cognitive processes. Glutamate stands as the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Its presence is crucial for the communication between neurons, underpinning essential processes such as synaptic transmission, neuronal excitability, and plasticity. These functions are vital for higher-order cognitive processes, including learning and memory. The...

Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview

Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview

Anxiolytic drugs are vital in managing anxiety disorders by effectively alleviating symptoms such as excessive fear, tachycardia, and tremors. There are several classes of anxiolytic medications, each with unique mechanisms of action and potential side effects.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Heat-related illness symptoms among migrant farmworkers: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

BMC public health·2026

Same author

Climate Change-Related extreme events and inequities in health outcomes: An umbrella review.

Environmental research·2026

Same author

Early sleep after action observation and motor imagery improved manual dexterity in patients after surgery for metacarpal and phalangeal fractures.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

From evidence to action: Italian recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of spatial neglect in stroke patients.

Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology·2026

Same author

Radioanatomy of the Silent Sinus Syndrome.

OTO open·2026

Same author

Buprenorphine Oral Lyophilisate for Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder: Pharmacology and Clinical Efficacy.

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 9, 2026

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

Published on: April 28, 2022

Acamprosate for alcohol dependence.

Susanne Rösner¹, Andrea Hackl-Herrwerth, Stefan Leucht

¹Psychiatric Hospital, University of Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, Munich, Germany, 80336.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

|September 9, 2010

Summary

Acamprosate aids alcohol dependence recovery by reducing drinking risk and increasing abstinence duration. This glutamate antagonist is a safe, effective adjunct to psychosocial programs for relapse prevention.

More Related Videos

A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers

A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers

Published on: January 5, 2018

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder

Published on: June 23, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 9, 2026

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

Published on: April 28, 2022

A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers

A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers

Published on: January 5, 2018

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder

Published on: June 23, 2023

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Pharmacology
Clinical Medicine

Background:

Alcohol dependence is a major global health risk.
Psychosocial programs offer moderate success in relapse prevention.
Acamprosate, a glutamate antagonist, may enhance treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

Evaluate acamprosate's effectiveness and tolerability.
Compare acamprosate against placebo and other pharmacological agents.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of double-blind randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Searched major databases (PubMed, EMBASE, etc.) and contacted manufacturers.
Individual patient data meta-analyses used for primary outcomes.

Main Results:

Acamprosate significantly reduced drinking risk (RR 0.86) and increased abstinence duration (MD 10.94 days) versus placebo.
Diarrhea was the most frequent side effect.
No significant difference in effects between industry-funded and non-profit trials; no publication bias detected.

Conclusions:

Acamprosate is effective and safe for maintaining abstinence post-detoxification.
Moderate treatment effects are valuable given alcoholism's relapsing nature.
Offers a needed therapeutic option for alcohol dependence.