title: Serotonergic Systems in the Pathophysiology of Ethanol Dependence: Relevance to Clinical Alcoholism.
abstract: Alcoholism is a progressive brain disorder that is marked by increased sensitivity to the positive and negative reinforcing properties of ethanol, compulsive and habitual use despite negative consequences, and chronic relapse to alcohol drinking despite repeated attempts to reduce intake or abstain from alcohol. Emerging evidence from preclinical and clinical studies implicates serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) systems in the pathophysiology of alcohol dependence, suggesting that drugs targeting 5-HT systems may have utility in the treatment of alcohol use disorders. In this Review, we discuss the role of 5-HT systems in alcohol dependence with a focus on 5-HT interactions with neural circuits that govern all three stages of the addiction cycle. We attempt to clarify how 5-HT influences circuit function at these different stages with the goal of identifying neural targets for pharmacological treatment of this debilitating disorder.
authors: Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States.
authors: Catherine A
authors: CA
authors: Marcinkiewcz
mesh_terms: D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D066249:Craving / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012701:Serotonin
keywords: 5-HT2C receptors; SSRIs; Serotonin; alcohol; anxiety; withdrawal
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