title: Pharmacological approaches to the management of alcohol addiction.
abstract: Alcohol abuse and alcoholism represent a world-wide problem, both from a medical and a social point of view. In the past the therapy for patients affected by alcoholism was based mainly on the psychological approach. In recent years the use of pharmacotherapy together with psychosocial interventions have enhanced the percentage of success in maintaining alcoholic patients in remission. The present review discusses the main drugs experimented both in preclinical and clinical studies. Pharmacotherapy of alcohol dependence seems to be effective in both alcohol-related emergencies and prevention relapse. However, pharmacotherapy should not be considered as the only form of treatment but as an integrated part of a multimodal approach including psychological and social support.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Interna, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Addolorato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Armuzzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gasbarrini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Lorenzi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ancona
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abenavoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leggio
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capristo
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Janiri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pozzi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Taranto
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Stefanini
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Foschi
mesh_terms: D000427:Alcohol Deterrents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000188:drug therapy; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000188:drug therapy; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000427:Alcohol Deterrents