The Pharmacology of Alcohol and Alcohol Dependence

Abstract This is a comprehensive review of the pharmacological effects of alcohol and the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of alcoholism. The book draws on general pharmacology, neuropharmacology, and alcohol studies to explore its theme. The second volume in the ALCOHOL AND ALCOHOLISM series, it focuses on the pharmacologic mechanisms underlying the development of alcoholism. The first section on basic pharmacology is concerned with those aspects that are common to all of alcohol’s effects. These include pharmacokinetics, general metabolism, and cross-tolerance. The second section on neuropharmacology describes the effects of alcohol on various brain functions, including circulation and metabolism. The third section provides an in-depth review of the neurobiology of physical dependence, withdrawal, and physiological tolerance. The book as a whole gives a comprehensive and authoritative picture of the complex pharmacologic actions of alcohol, particularly on the nervous system. For clinicians and researchers in the field of alcohol and alcoholism, it will serve as a fundamental reference.