title: New insights on neurobiological mechanisms underlying alcohol addiction.
abstract: Alcohol dependence/addiction is mediated by complex neural mechanisms that involve multiple brain circuits and neuroadaptive changes in a variety of neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems. Although recent studies have provided substantial information on the neurobiological mechanisms that drive alcohol drinking behavior, significant challenges remain in understanding how alcohol-induced neuroadaptations occur and how different neurocircuits and pathways cross-talk. This review article highlights recent progress in understanding neural mechanisms of alcohol addiction from the perspectives of the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence. It provides insights on cross talks of different mechanisms and reviews the latest studies on metaplasticity, structural plasticity, interface of reward and stress pathways, and cross-talk of different neural signaling systems involved in binge-like drinking and alcohol dependence.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, NIAAA/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. changhai.cui@nih.gov
authors.forename: Changhai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noronha
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morikawa
authors.forename: Veronica A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Garret D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Stuber
authors.forename: Karen K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Szumlinski
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Kash
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roberto
authors.forename: Mark V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Wilcox
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology