The incentive salience of alcohol: translating the effects of genetic variant in CNR1.

ABSTRACT:

Context

The gene that codes for cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) represents an important target for investigations designed to elucidate individual differences in the etiology of alcohol dependence.

Objective

To achieve a better understanding of the role of the CNR1 gene in the etiology and treatment of alcohol dependence.

Design

The present investigation spans multiple levels of analysis, including receptor binding in postmortem brain tissue, neuroimaging, human laboratory models, and analyses of treatment outcome data.

Results

Findings indicate that the C allele of rs2023239 is associated with greater CB1 binding in the prefrontal cortex, greater alcohol cue-elicited brain activation in the midbrain and prefrontal cortex, greater subjective reward when consuming

SUBMITTER: Hutchison KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2856651 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature