Nicholas Gilpin

Alcohol Abstinence in Vulnerable Subpopulations of Drinkers

A Role for Neuropeptide Y

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Alcohol dependence is a debilitating disorder for the
individual and very costly for society. Because
alcoholism is such a complex disease, animal models
are used to mimic components of the disease.
Alcoholism is defined by cycles of intoxication and
abstinence, resulting in the compulsion to drink
alcohol, loss of control in limiting intake, and
emergence of negative emotional states. These studies
focused on behaviors during protracted abstinence in
rats genetically and environmentally susceptible to
alcohol dependence. Specifically, rats selectively
bred for high alcohol preference were tested for
anxiety-like behaviors, and genetically heterogeneous
rats were made dependent on alcohol and tested for
relapse behavior. Neuropeptide Y
(NPY), an endogenous anxiolytic, was tested for its
effects on these behaviors. Anxiety-like behavior was
suppressed by NPY regardless of alcohol exposure
history. However, NPY suppressed alcohol
drinking only in rats that underwent cycles of
abstinence. These results suggest that dysregulation
of brain NPY systems is an important motivational
factor that drives alcohol consumption in vulnerable
subpopulations of drinkers.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller
• Seitenzahl: 172
• Englisch
• Gewicht: 240g
• ISBN-13: 9783639121919
• ISBN-10: 3639121910
• Artikelnr.: 26129628

Autorenporträt

Nicholas W. Gilpin received a Bachelor's degree in Psychology
from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in Psychology
from Purdue University. Dr. Gilpin continues to examine
the neurobiology of alcohol addiction in vulnerable
subpopulations of drinkers at The Scripps Research Institute and
teaches at UCSD in La Jolla, CA.