title: Pharmacotherapy of alcohol use disorders.
abstract: Therapeutic interventions to treat alcoholism have increased in number, including several pharmacotherapies. Aspects of epidemiology, gender, and psychiatric comorbidity as well as a brief overview of neurobiology are presented as an introduction. The medications used clinically for the treatment of alcoholism, disulfiram and naltrexone, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States for the treatment of alcoholism and acamprosate, a medication used extensively in Europe that is currently being evaluated in the United States, are reviewed in detail. An overview of the serotonergic agents is also provided. Finally, future directions, including new medications and some clinical strategies that show promise but are not yet used extensively clinically, are mentioned.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buonopane
authors.forename: Ismene L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Petrakis
mesh_terms: D000077443:Acamprosate; D000427:Alcohol Deterrents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000009:adverse effects; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000009:adverse effects; D015897:Comorbidity; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004347:Drug Interactions; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000009:adverse effects; D009294:Narcotics / Q000009:adverse effects; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013654:Taurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000427:Alcohol Deterrents; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D009294:Narcotics; D000639:Amitriptyline; D013654:Taurine; D012701:Serotonin; D000431:Ethanol; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D009271:Naltrexone; D000077443:Acamprosate; D004221:Disulfiram; D004298:Dopamine