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Studies using macaque monkeys to address excessive alcohol drinking and stress interactions
Vanessa A Jimenez1, Kathleen A Grant2
1Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland, OR, USA.
Neuropharmacology
|March 29, 2017
Summary
Non-human primates (NHPs) models help study alcohol use disorders (AUDs) by examining stress and excessive alcohol consumption. These studies provide critical insights into brain, endocrine, and behavioral changes relevant to human AUDs.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Stress and excessive alcohol consumption are complex issues.
- Non-human primates (NHPs), especially macaques, offer valuable translational models for alcohol use disorders (AUDs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To review progress in using NHPs to understand the relationship between stress and alcohol consumption.
- To highlight future research directions for brain and HPA axis adaptations in AUDs.
Main Methods:
- Studies involving volitional, oral alcohol self-administration in NHPs.
- Analysis of individual differences in alcohol intake, HPA axis function, and neuroadaptations.
- Utilizing genetic similarities and in vivo brain imaging in NHPs.
Main Results:
- NHPs exhibit individual differences in alcohol intake and HPA axis responses.
- Chronic alcohol exposure induces specific synaptic adaptations in the NHP brain.
- NHPs allow for within-subject studies on risks and consequences of excessive alcohol consumption.
Conclusions:
- NHP models are crucial for understanding the interplay of stress and excessive alcohol consumption in AUDs.
- Further research on brain and HPA axis adaptations in NHPs is needed to elucidate mechanisms underlying stress-induced alcohol use.
