Cellular and Molecular Physiology of Alcohol Actions in the Nervous System

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This chapter reviews the physiological actions of alcohol in the nervous system and discusses the possible cellular and molecular basis of alcohol's behavioral actions. The chapter focuses on the acute neuronal actions of alcohol, as detected by neurophysiological techniques. The approach to elucidating the cellular actions of alcohol in the nervous system investigates the effects of ethanol on the spike firing of neurons in different regions of the nervous system. Such investigations have revealed a plethora of results. Ethanol has been observed to increase or decrease, have biphasic effects on, or have no effect on neuronal discharge in different brain regions. In several brain regions, certain general patterns of ethanol effects have emerged, with either inhibition or excitation of neuronal firing predominating. On the other hand, in some brain regions, different effects of ethanol administration is observed on the firing of a given neuronal type dependent upon such factors as the preparation used, the presence or absence of anesthetic, the type of anesthetic used, and the method of ethanol administration. This diversity suggests that a variety of different factors may influence the effect of ethanol on neuronal discharge. Thus, to elucidate the cellular mechanisms of ethanol's action, it is necessary to minimize the variables that impinge upon neuronal function.

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