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Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication
Published on: February 6, 2019
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Alcohol-induced alterations in dopamine modulation of prefrontal activity
Heather Trantham-Davidson1, L Judson Chandler1
1Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.)
|November 13, 2015
Summary
Long-term alcohol use causes lasting cognitive deficits by disrupting the brain's executive functions, particularly impacting the dopamine system in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC). These changes persist even after abstinence, affecting quality of life and increasing relapse risk.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurobiology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Long-term alcohol consumption results in persistent cognitive impairments affecting executive functions.
- These deficits can endure into abstinence, negatively impacting life quality, job performance, and increasing relapse rates.
- Maladaptive neurocircuitry changes, especially in the mesocortical dopamine system, are implicated in these cognitive deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the cellular effects of acute and chronic ethanol exposure on dopamine release and receptor function in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC).
- To enhance understanding of how alcohol-use disorders impact the dopamine system.
- To elucidate the relationship between these dopaminergic alterations and executive function deficits in the PFC.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on cellular effects of ethanol on dopamine systems.
- Analysis of studies examining dopamine release and receptor function in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) following alcohol exposure.
- Synthesis of findings related to acute and chronic ethanol's impact on PFC neurochemistry.
Main Results:
- Ethanol exposure alters dopamine release and dopamine receptor expression and function in the PFC.
- These alterations contribute to dysregulation of the mesocortical dopamine system.
- Observed changes in dopamine signaling are linked to impaired executive functions.
Conclusions:
- Disruptions in the PFC dopamine system are a key mechanism underlying alcohol-induced cognitive deficits.
- Understanding these cellular effects is crucial for addressing executive function impairments in alcohol-use disorders.
- Targeting the dopamine system may offer therapeutic strategies for mitigating long-term cognitive consequences of alcohol abuse.
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