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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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication

Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication

Published on: February 6, 2019

Reprogramming of mPFC transcriptome and function in alcohol dependence.

M Heilig¹, E Barbier¹, A L Johnstone²

¹Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.

Genes, Brain, and Behavior

|September 23, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Alcohol dependence causes brain changes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), leading to compulsive drinking. Epigenetic modifications, like DNA hypermethylation, reprogram mPFC function, driving addiction behaviors.

Keywords:

Alcohol use disorder BDNF DNA methylation animal model inhibitory control mGlur2 miRNA neuronal ensemble post-dependent transcriptome viral vector

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Molecular Biology
Addiction Research

Background:

Alcohol dependence involves neuroadaptations promoting compulsive alcohol seeking and intake.
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regulates behaviors related to alcohol consumption.
Repeated alcohol intoxication and withdrawal cycles induce lasting changes in brain function.

Purpose of the Study:

To review emerging literature on mPFC functional reprogramming in alcohol dependence.
To highlight molecular dysregulations contributing to the post-dependent syndrome.
To identify epigenetic mechanisms driving long-term alcohol-related behaviors.

Main Methods:

Review of existing scientific literature on alcohol dependence and mPFC function.
Analysis of studies investigating molecular signaling pathways (glutamatergic, BDNF, calcium homeostasis).
Examination of epigenetic modifications, including DNA hypermethylation and histone modifications.

Main Results:

Prolonged alcohol exposure reprograms mPFC function, contributing to addiction.
Altered glutamatergic and BDNF signaling, calcium homeostasis, and neurotransmitter release are implicated.
Global DNA hypermethylation and repression of histone modifying enzymes, like PRDM2, are key epigenetic changes.
These epigenetic changes drive molecular and behavioral consequences of alcohol dependence.

Conclusions:

Epigenetic alterations in the mPFC are crucial for the development of alcoholism.
Targeting these epigenetic modifications offers potential for novel disease-modifying treatments for alcohol dependence.