What are the neurological mechanisms of alcoholism?
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The neurological mechanisms of alcoholism involve neurotoxic and neuroadaptive consequences on neurotransmitter systems and brain circuitries involved in learning and memory . Chronic alcohol intake can lead to alterations in reward anticipation and processing, affecting learning mechanisms implicated in alcohol dependence . Ethanol-induced toxicity, excitotoxicity, oxidative/nitrosative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation are among the mechanisms contributing to ethanol-induced neurotoxicity . Dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) play a key role in reward mechanisms leading to alcohol addiction, and the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) is a major GABAergic afferent to these neurons . Alcoholism is considered a brain disease with neurochemical differences among subtypes, such as dopaminergic and serotonergic transmission deficits . Ethanol exposure during development can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), leading to permanent congenital disabilities in motor and cognitive domains . Mechanisms underlying ethanol-induced cell death include oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and neuroinflammation .
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13 Citations | The paper discusses the neurological consequences of alcoholism, including cerebellar ataxia and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. It mentions oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, thiamine deficiency, neuroinflammation, and disrupted neurotransmission as mechanisms underlying alcohol-induced cell death. |
| The paper discusses the neurobiological bases of alcohol addiction, including changes in neurotransmission systems, such as dopaminergic and serotonergic transmission, and the role of genetic factors in alcoholism. However, it does not specifically mention the neurological mechanisms of alcoholism. | |
| The paper discusses several neurological mechanisms underlying alcohol-induced neurotoxicity, including excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and dopamine metabolism. | |
4 Citations | The paper discusses the synaptic regulation of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as a key initial step in reward mechanisms leading to alcohol addiction. It also mentions the involvement of the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) and the endogenous opioid system in alcoholism. However, it does not provide a detailed explanation of the neurological mechanisms of alcoholism. |
| The paper discusses neurobiological theories of addiction development and maintenance, focusing on motivational alterations and their neurobiological correlates in alcohol dependence. It does not specifically mention the neurological mechanisms of alcoholism. |
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