Alcohol and withdrawal: from animal research to clinical issues

• Published in: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 189 - 197
• Main Authors: De Witte, Ph, Pinto, E., Ansseau, M., Verbanck, P.
• Format: Book Review Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alcohol; Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System - drug therapy; Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System - physiopathology; Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System - psychology; Amino Acids; Animals; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Disease Models, Animal; Dopamine; Ethanol - adverse effects; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glutamic Acid - drug effects; Humans; Neurosciences & behavior; Neurosciences & comportement; Neurotransmission and behavior; Noradrenaline; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - drug effects; Sciences sociales & comportementales, psychologie; Serotonin; Social & behavioral sciences, psychology; Stress; Stress, Physiological - chemically induced; Stress, Psychological - chemically induced; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - drug therapy; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - physiopathology; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - psychology; Withdrawal; Dopamine; Serotonin; Withdrawal; Alcohol; Noradrenaline; Stress; Amino Acids; Animal model; Ethanol; Weaning; Alcoholism; Central nervous system; Homeostasis; Review; Noradrenergic pathway; Acquisition process; Pleasure unpleasure; Serotoninergic pathway; Reinforcement; Dopaminergic pathway; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0149-7634; 1873-7528; 1873-7528
• DOI: 10.1016/S0149-7634(03)00030-7

The withdrawal syndrome in alcohol-dependent patients appears to be a major stressful event whose intensity increases with repetition of detoxifications according to a kindling process. Disturbances in the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neural processes are reflected in a perturbed physical state while disturbances in the balance between positive and negative reinforcements are reflected in a perturbed mood state. Our purpose is to link the different behavioral outcomes occurring during withdrawal with specific biological brain mechanisms from the animal to the human being. Better understanding of the various biological mechanisms underlying withdrawal from alcohol will be the key to design and to apply appropriate pharmaceutical management, together with appropriate therapy aimed at inducing protracted abstinence.