The role of neurotransmitters in alcohol dependence: animal research

Animal studies have demonstrated that alcohol changes neurotransmitter concentrations in the brain. These changes in levels of dopamine, serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), endogenous opioid peptides, and noradrenaline are associated with activation of reward centres in the brain. It is this property of alcohol that is believed to be responsible for the reinforcing effect of alcohol consumption in rats. One class of neurotransmitters, the endogenous opioid peptides, are believed to play an important role in alcohol reinforcement. This view is supported by the reduced preference for alcohol consumption found in rats given an opiate agonist. The widely distributed inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA is also believed to play a fundamental role in mediating the effects of alcohol. A better understanding of the mechanisms that support alcohol dependence in animals offers hope for the development of pharmacological interventions to block these mechanisms, an approach that is now being explored in humans.