- Afflicts 15
to 20 million Americans and affects 3 to 4 times as many
family members, coworkers, and friends.
- Is involved
in half of all fatal automobile accidents and is responsible
for more than 100,000 deaths annually, representing about
5% of all deaths in the United States.
- Through Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome, is the third leading cause of birth defects
with accompanying mental retardation.
PROGRESS
IN MEDICAL RESEARCH
Alcohol is the
most widely used drug in the United States. Unlike most other
drugs, alcohol carries the potential to damage many organs
of the body; including the heart, brain, liver, and digestive
system. Although the causes of alcoholism are not completely
understood, researchers have made significant strides in understanding
this major health-care problem. Scientists have found that
alcoholism is the result of a combination of biological and
behavioral components. In some individuals it is now possible
to identify genetic factors, in addition to environmental,
that account for some people's susceptibility to become alcoholic.
Current estimates of the number of people affected by alcoholism
are probably low, due to the millions of people who never
seek treatment. Since tolerance to alcohol is in part a learned
phenomenon, some alcoholics achieve higher dosing without
medical complications or withdrawal symptoms. These "hidden"
alcoholics may appear generally sober even though judgment
in other higher mental faculties is prominently impaired.
What
has animal research shown about alcoholism?
Essential information
about alcoholism has come from studies with animals showing
sensitivities and responses to alcohol similar to those of
humans. Research with monkeys has shown that prolonged periods
of drinking produces specific brain damage, revealing important
clues to the causes of blackouts, disorientation, and loss
of memory. Studies with rats suggest a connection between
alcohol and stressors contributing to heart disease. Additional
studies with rats are exploring the processes of alcohol craving,
dependency, and tolerance; and the genetic basis for these
phenomena. Contributing to the study of withdrawal is a rat
strain sensitive to low doses of alcohol. Nutritional studies
with pigs may lead to specific dietary recommendations which
can prevent malnutrition and liver disease from chronic alcoholism.
Is
animal research on alcoholism still needed?
Although animal
models have revealed important information on possible causes
of alcoholism, more research is crucial. One unanswered question
is how alcohol interacts with the central nervous system and
what the specific neurotransmitter systems are. Research using
animals plays an essential role in mapping these processes.
Animal research is also necessary for learning how alcohol
and other drugs interact because in many instances they are
combined.
What's
ahead for research on alcoholism?
Finding the causes
of alcoholism and developing effective treatments are high
research priorities. In addition to revealing more about the
effects and causes of alcoholism, a long tradition of animal
research by psychologists, pharmacologists, neuroscientists,
physiologists, and physicians continues to play an important
role in establishing effective treatment programs for humans.
Because animals have many of the same biological and behavioral
reactions to alcohol as humans, animal research remains vital
in leading us both to the treatment of alcoholism and its
prevention.
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