Researchers uncover new target of alcohol in the brain

ContentDopamine’s Phasic-Synaptic ActionsThe dopamine system: a potential treatment target for alcohol dependenceHow Does Alcohol Affect Dopamine Levels?Here’s How The Dopamine System Works Dopamine binding to D1 receptors enhances the excitatory effects that result from glutamate’s interaction with a specific glutamate receptor subtype (i.e., the NMDA receptor4). Conversely, activation of D2 receptors inhibits the effects induced by glutamate’s binding to another glutamate-receptor subtype (i.e., the AMPA receptor5) (Cepeda et al. 1993). (For more information on glutamate receptor subtypes, see the article by Gonzales and Jaworski, pp. 120–127.) Consequently, dopamine can facilitate or inhibit excitatory neurotransmission, depending on the dopamine-receptor subtype activated. Moreover,...