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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...
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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...
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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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Phase I biotransformation reductive reactions are chemical processes that modify drugs by introducing or revealing polar functional groups via reduction. Enzymes called reductases catalyze these reactions, playing a pivotal role in drug metabolism by transforming lipophilic drugs into more polar, water-soluble metabolites for easy excretion. An essential type of reductive reaction is the carbonyl group reduction, where aldehydes and ketones are reduced to alcohols. An example is the...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 7, 2026

A Method for Evaluating the Reinforcing Properties of Ethanol in Rats without Water Deprivation, Saccharin Fading or Extended Access Training
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Naltrexone ameliorates functional network abnormalities in alcohol-dependent individuals.

Laurel S Morris1,2, Kwangyeol Baek3, Roger Tait2,3

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK.

Addiction Biology
|March 2, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Naltrexone medication normalizes brain network disruptions in individuals with alcohol dependence. This study suggests naltrexone may improve alcohol use disorders by restoring neural network topology.

Keywords:
Addictionalcoholcocainenaltrexoneopiatesubstance use

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Addiction Medicine
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist used for addiction relapse prevention.
  • Its precise mechanisms of action and clinical efficacy require further elucidation.
  • Understanding neural network changes in addiction is crucial for developing targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of naltrexone on neural network alterations in alcohol and poly-substance dependence.
  • To compare brain network topology in individuals with substance dependence and healthy controls.
  • To identify potential neural mechanisms underlying naltrexone's therapeutic effects.

Main Methods:

  • Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed.
  • Graph theory and network-based statistical analysis were utilized.
  • Participants included alcohol-dependent, poly-drug-dependent, and healthy individuals.

Main Results:

  • Alcohol-dependent individuals exhibited reduced functional connectivity in a specific neural network.
  • Both patient groups showed higher local efficiency, indicating segregated network topology.
  • Naltrexone normalized heightened local efficiency in alcohol-dependent individuals, resembling healthy controls.
  • Naltrexone did not affect local efficiency in poly-drug-dependent individuals.

Conclusions:

  • Naltrexone may exert clinical effects by ameliorating disrupted neural network topology in alcohol dependence.
  • Heightened local efficiency may represent a potential premorbid risk factor for alcohol use disorders.
  • These findings offer insights into the neurobiological underpinnings of naltrexone's efficacy.