title: Pharmacologic approaches to the management of alcoholism.
abstract: Our understanding of alcohol craving, both as a cause for chronic abuse and relapse and as a target for intervention, has been refined significantly in recent years. For example, craving experienced during alcohol withdrawal may be mediated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate receptor mechanisms, whereas the memory of the rewarding aspects of alcohol may be mediated by dopamine, opiate, and glutamate systems. Therefore, pharmacologic treatments for alcohol dependence may be targeted to numerous pathways. This article will discuss animal and clinical studies of the opioid antagonists (primarily naltrexone), acamprosate, and disulfiram. The side effects and treatment recommendations for each drug will also be reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Anton
mesh_terms: D000077443:Acamprosate; D000427:Alcohol Deterrents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013654:Taurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000427:Alcohol Deterrents; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D013654:Taurine; D009271:Naltrexone; D000077443:Acamprosate; C038981:nalmefene; D004221:Disulfiram