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PMID: 11978808 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Review

Behavioral neurobiology of alcohol addiction: recent advances and challenges.

Weiss F, Porrino LJ

Abstract

Addictive behavior associated with alcoholism is characterized by compulsive preoccupation with obtaining alcohol, loss of control over consumption, and development of tolerance and dependence, as well as impaired social and occupational functioning. Like other addictive disorders, alcoholism is characterized by chronic vulnerability to relapse after cessation of drinking. To understand the factors that compel some individuals to drink excessively, alcohol research has focused on the identification of brain mechanisms that support the reinforcing actions of alcohol and the progression of changes in neural function induced by chronic ethanol consumption that lead to the development of dependence. More recently, increasing attention has been directed toward the understanding of neurobiological and environmental factors in susceptibility to relapse.

MeSH Terms
Alcoholism/etiology,physiopathology Animals Behavior/drug effects Brain/drug effects,physiopathology Disease Susceptibility Dopamine/physiology Genetic Predisposition to Disease Humans Motivation Receptors, Opioid/drug effects,physiology Recurrence Reinforcement, Psychology Reward
Chemicals
Receptors, Opioid Dopamine
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Weiss Friedbert
Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. [email protected]
Porrino Linda J
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Article Info
Journal
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience
Abbr.
J Neurosci
ISSN
1529-2401
Published
2002-05-01
Pages
3332-7
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
8102140
PMCID
PMC6758393
Subset
IM
Grants
NIAAA NIH HHS · P50 AA006420 · United States
NIAAA NIH HHS · AA06420 · United States
NIAAA NIH HHS · R01 AA010531 · United States
NIAAA NIH HHS · P50 AA011997 · United States
NIAAA NIH HHS · AA 10531 · United States
NIAAA NIH HHS · AA11997 · United States
NIAAA NIH HHS · AA0929 · United States
NIAAA NIH HHS · P20 AA011997 · United States
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