Differences in IV alcohol-induced dopamine release in the ventral striatum of social drinkers and nontreatment-seeking alcoholics.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Striatal dopamine (DA) has been implicated in alcohol use disorders, but it is still unclear whether or not alcohol can induce dopamine release in social drinkers. Furthermore, no data exist on dopamine responses to alcohol in dependent drinkers. We sought to characterize the DA responses to alcohol intoxication in moderately large samples of social drinkers (SD) and nontreatment-seeking alcoholics (NTS).

Methods

Twenty-four SD and twenty-one NTS received two [(11)C]raclopride (RAC) PET scans; one at rest, and one during an intravenous alcohol infusion, with a prescribed ascent to a target breath alcohol concentration (BrAC), at which it was then "clamped." The alcohol clamp was started 5min after scan start, with a linear increase in BrAC over 15min to the target

SUBMITTER: Yoder KK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5074339 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature