Clock genes × stress × reward interactions in alcohol and substance use disorders.

ABSTRACT: Adverse life events and highly stressful environments have deleterious consequences for mental health. Those environmental factors can potentiate alcohol and drug abuse in vulnerable individuals carrying specific genetic risk factors, hence producing the final risk for alcohol- and substance-use disorders development. The nature of these genes remains to be fully determined, but studies indicate their direct or indirect relation to the stress hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and/or reward systems. Over the past decade, clock genes have been revealed to be key-players in influencing acute and chronic alcohol/drug effects. In parallel, the influence of chronic stress and stressful life events in promoting alcohol and substance use and abuse has been demonstrated. Furthermore, the rec

SUBMITTER: Perreau-Lenz S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4457607 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature