Neurochemical Bases of Locomotion and Ethanol Stimulant Effects

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The locomotor stimulant effect produced by alcohol (ethanol) is one of the measurable ethanol effects. Ethanol-induced euphoria in humans and locomotor stimulation in rodents—a potential animal model of human euphoria—have long been recognized and the latter has been extensively characterized. As the euphoria produced by ethanol may influence the development of uncontrolled or excessive alcohol use, a solid understanding of the neurochemical substrates underlying such effects is important. This chapter discusses three neurotransmitter substances—dopamine, glutamate γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamate—for the control of spontaneous locomotion. Studies suggest that CNS processes using these transmitter substances are involved in determining the effects of ethanol on locomotion. Particular emphasis in this area of research has been placed on the mesolimbic VTA/NAcc dopaminergic system and the VP/SI, on which GABAergic processes terminate from the NAcc. Glutamate has been detected in both the NAcc and the VP/SI and has been postulated to mediate dopaminergic neurotransmission. These pathways do not act independently but, rather, interact to produce the final behavioral outcome. The chapter also discusses the involvement of other transmitter systems such as cholinergic, serotonergic, and adrenergic in ethanol's locomotor activating effects.

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