New Developments in the Pharmacotherapy of Alcohol Dependence

• Published in: The American journal on addictions Vol. 10; no. s1; pp. s3 - s15
• Main Authors: Myrick, Hugh, Brady, Kathleen T., Malcolm, Robert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-01-2001
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Anesthesia - administration & dosage; Adjuvants, Anesthesia - therapeutic use; Alcohol Deterrents - administration & dosage; Alcohol Deterrents - therapeutic use; Alcoholism - drug therapy; Anticonvulsants - administration & dosage; Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use; Buspirone - therapeutic use; Carbamazepine - administration & dosage; Carbamazepine - therapeutic use; Drug Therapy - trends; Ethanol - adverse effects; Humans; Naltrexone - administration & dosage; Naltrexone - analogs & derivatives; Naltrexone - therapeutic use; Narcotic Antagonists - administration & dosage; Narcotic Antagonists - therapeutic use; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Ritanserin - therapeutic use; Serotonin Agents - administration & dosage; Serotonin Agents - therapeutic use; Sodium Oxybate - administration & dosage; Sodium Oxybate - therapeutic use; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - etiology; Taurine - administration & dosage; Taurine - analogs & derivatives; Taurine - therapeutic use; Valproic Acid - administration & dosage; Valproic Acid - therapeutic use; Vigabatrin - administration & dosage; Vigabatrin - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 1055-0496; 1521-0391
• DOI: 10.1080/10550490150504092

Neuroscientific underpinnings and pharmacotherapeutic treatments of sub‐stance use disorders are rapidly developing areas of study. In particular, there have been exciting new developments in our understanding of the involvement of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter systems and the opiate and serotonin systems in the pathophysiology of alcohol withdrawal, alcohol dependence, and in subtypes of individuals with alcoholism. In this article, new developments in the pharmacotherapy of alcohol dependence will be reviewed. In particular, the use of anticonvulsants in alcohol withdrawal and protracted abstinence syndromes will be discussed. New data on opiate antagonists and acamprosate, an agent that exerts actions through excitatory amino acid systems in relapse prevention, will be reviewed. Finally, there will be a review of new data concerning the use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors in subtypes of alcoholism and the use of combination pharmacotherapy.