title: Basal ganglia/limbic striatal and thalamocortical involvement in craving and loss of control in alcoholism.
abstract: The authors explore the possible role of basal ganglia/limbic striatal and thalamocortical circuits in craving and loss of control in alcohol abuse and dependence. Alcoholics may suffer from a defect in the neuronal systems within basal ganglia/limbic striatal and thalamocortical neuronal circuits, especially within the striatoaccumbal-ventral pallidal portion of this circuit or its dopaminergic nigrotegmental modulation. Alcoholic craving may result from a neurophysiologically driven obsession resulting from overactivity within the fronto-thalamic neuronal loop, and loss of control of alcohol consumption may be a neurophysiologically driven compulsion resulting from further impairment of the basal ganglia/limbic striatal portion of this circuit caused by the acute dopaminergic effects of intoxication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Alcohol Research Center, Ann Arbor 48109-0116.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Modell
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mountz
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Beresford
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000503:physiopathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000503:physiopathology; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents