title: Preclinical and clinical pharmacology of alcohol dependence.
abstract: In recent years, advances in neuroscience led to the development of new medications to treat alcohol dependence and especially to prevent alcohol relapse after detoxification. Whereas the earliest medications against alcohol dependence were fortuitously discovered, recently developed drugs are increasingly based on alcohol's neurobiological mechanisms of action. This review discusses the most recent developments in alcohol pharmacotherapy and emphasizes the neurobiological basis of anti-alcohol medications. There are currently three approved drugs for the treatment of alcohol dependence with quite different mechanisms of action. Disulfiram is an inhibitor of the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase and acts as an alcohol-deterrent drug. Naltrexone, an opiate antagonist, reduces alcohol craving and relapse in heavy drinking, probably via a modulation of the mesolimbic dopamine activity. Finally, acamprosate helps maintaining alcohol abstinence, probably through a normalization of the chronic alcohol-induced hyperglutamatergic state. In addition to these approved medications, many other drugs have been suggested for preventing alcohol consumption on the basis of preclinical studies. Some of these drugs remain promising, whereas others have produced disappointing results in preliminary clinical studies. These new drugs in the field of alcohol pharmacotherapy are also discussed, together with their mechanisms of action.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche en Psychologie Expérimentale et Neurosciences Cognitives (URPENC), Université de Liège, Boulevard du Rectorat 5/B32, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tambour
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quertemont
mesh_terms: D000077443:Acamprosate; D000427:Alcohol Deterrents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D018757:GABA Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013654:Taurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000427:Alcohol Deterrents; D018757:GABA Modulators; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D013654:Taurine; D012701:Serotonin; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D009271:Naltrexone; D000077443:Acamprosate; D004221:Disulfiram; D004298:Dopamine