GABA Mechanisms Underlying the Vulnerability to Alcohol Dependence

Summary

This Project will explore the hypothesis that individuals with a family history positive for alcohol dependence (without any current Axis I disorder, except nicotine dependence), experience an alteration in the reward "valence" (balance of positive and negative effects) of the GABAA receptor agonist barbiturate (thiopental) compared to family history negative age-matched subjects. Further, variation in genes involved in brain GABA function may influence the risk for alcoholism by altering a component of the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol.

Timeline

Start

2005-11

Primary completion

2012-04

Completion

2012-04

Publications

• Results Petrakis IL, Kerfoot K, Pittman B, Perrino A, Koretski J, Newcomb J, Limoncelli D, Acampora G, Ralevski E. Subjective Effects of Thiopental in Young Adults with and without a Family History of Alcoholism. J Addict Res Ther. 2012 May 14;Suppl 7(2):6336. doi: 10.4172/2155-6105.S7-002.

Drugs

Indications