alcohol effects on neurotransmitters
Drugs like morphine or cocaine have been referred to as chemical scalpels because of their very precise effects on just one neurotransmitter system. Alcohol on the other hand is much more like a chemical hand grenade in that it affects just about all parts of the brain and all neurotransmitter systems. Specific chemical messengers effected by alcohol are the neurotransmitter serotonin (5 HT), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and dopamine. The role of neurotransmitters in the brain is to either stimulate or inhibit the flow of an impulse between neurons. A BRAIN ON BOOZE. Image: MOUNT HOLYOKE COLLEGE. UNDER THE INFLUENCE of alcohol, the brain experiences impairments in the regions shown: Frontal Lobe (A) Loss of reason, caution, inhibitions, sociability, talkativeness and intelligence. Parietal Lobe (B) Loss of fine motor skills, slower reaction time, shaking. The NMDA antagonist MK801 has been shown to decrease the severity of seizures in these mice during withdrawal. Through a complex process of cell membrane ion pumps and neurotransmitter stimulation, the multi-faceted effects of alcohol and alcohol withdrawal are becoming better understood. Cell membranes also control the release of neurotransmitters and this means that the release of neurotransmitters is also affected by the presence of alcohol. The effects of alcohol on receptors and neurotransmitters have been well documented for several neurotransmitters and their corresponding receptors. Since GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, alcohol increases its ability to inhibit. (3). And because GABA neurons are located not in one specific part of the brain, the presence of alcohol inhibits many activities within the brain, influencing behavioral output. Brain Stem (F) Loss of vital functions. The product of the oldest chemical reaction studied by man<, alcohol, continues to challenge researchers. Since the original work on alcohol's neurological effects in the early 20th century, new theories have regularly emerged. What we have learned is that alcohol is a sedative-hypnotic in the acute intoxication phase for most patients. But it diminishes the quality of sleep. Alcohol not only effects the neurotransmitters individually, but also influences the interactions of these three neurotransmitters when working together. For example, 5 HT may interact with neurons that secrete GABA. The effects of alcohol on the brain do not end when alcohol is completely metabolized and out of the system--what happens next is something called neurotransmitter rebound. This rebound effect is most easily illustrated if we look at what happens to many people when they use a drink or two as a sleep aid. Morphine and caffeine are both large molecules. Neurotransmitters are also large molecules. Morphine and caffeine have the effects which they do because of their similarity in shape to neurotransmitters which occur naturally in the brain. Alcohol on the other hand is a quite small molecule. Alcohol does not mimic a neurotransmitter.
It affects just about all parts of the brain and all neurotransmitter systems.