Alcohol and Neurobiology

The neurological consequences of alcohol abuse need additional research concentrating on prevention and treatment. Public attention and research efforts are being driven by an ever- increasing understanding of the problems and magnitude of alcohol on neurological development. The 10 million alcohol-abusing adults, along with unborn children exposed to alcohol in utero, cost the people of the U.S. more than $100 billion in lost wages, health care, theft, damaged mental functions, and shortened life span. An intimate, detailed knowledge of the effects of alcohol on the biochemical reactions and neurological changes is critical in preventing or treating abuse. We must study the mechanisms of ethanol's effects on the neurological system at a cellular and systematic level to understand its action. These include modifications of hormonal regulation and production with its major functional consequences. Brain development including its cells are a major focus and emphasis of this volume. The progress of research over the past decade is encouraging as we begin to summarize and evaluate in detail advances in understanding changes in the brain's biochemistry and physiology caused by ethanol. This information will assist the researcher, clinician, and student in comprehending the complex changes caused by direct and indirect effects of single drugs at the cellular level.