Citation

Harrison NL, Skelly MJ, Grosserode EP, Lowes DC, Zeric T, Phister S, Salling MC. Neuropharmacology 2017; 122: 36-45.

Affiliation

Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, N.Y., 10032, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.04.007

PMID

28479395

Abstract

Alcohol has many effects on brain function and hence on human behavior, ranging from anxiolytic and mild disinhibitory effects, sedation and motor incoordination, amnesia, emesis, hypnosis and eventually unconsciousness. In recent years a variety of studies have shown that acute and chronic exposure to alcohol can modulate ion channels that regulate excitability. Modulation of intrinsic excitability provides another way in which alcohol can influence neuronal network activity, in addition to its actions on synaptic inputs. In this review, we review "low dose" effects [between 2 and 20 mM EtOH], and medium dose effects [between 20 and 50 mM, by considering in turn each of the many networks and brain regions affected by alcohol, and thereby attempt to integrate in vitro physiological studies in specific brain regions (e.g. amygdala, ventral tegmental area, prefrontal cortex, thalamus, cerebellum etc.) within the context of alcohol's behavioral actions in vivo (e.g. anxiolysis, euphoria, sedation, motor incoordination).

Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol