In this module, we will examine how alcohol affects the brain at a structural level.
We will also look at:
- which brain areas are involved in mediating the effects of alcohol,
- the processes involved in dependency,
- the neuropharmacology involved in mediating the key effects of alcohol,
- neuroadaptations with chronic use and withdrawal,
- the underlying psychopharmacology of pharmacotherapeutic strategies,
- how neuroimaging has been used to characterise the neurobiology of alcoholism.
Learning objectives:
By the end of this module you should be able to demonstrate a clear knowledge of:
• how different neuroimaging techniques can be used to characterise the neurobiology of alcohol
• the effects of alcohol on brain function and structure
• the key neurotransmitter systems that modulate the acute effects of alcohol
• the neuroadaptions that occur following chronic alcohol consumption
• how the different therapeutic drugs for alcoholism interact with different neurotransmitter systems.
