What is alcohol's effect on the brain chemical dopamine?

Stimulants like amphetamine and cocaine affect dopamine directly whereas other drugs appear to affect it indirectly. In this article we will review the research on the effect of alcohol on dopamine. • Norepinephrine: Also known as noradrenalin. read more

Dopamine-containing neurons in the nucleus accumbens are activated by motivational stimuli, which encourage a person to perform or repeat a behavior. “Even low alcohol doses can increase dopamine and this dopamine release may contribute to the rewarding effects of alcohol and may thereby play a role in promoting alcohol consumption. read more

The findings help better shape our understanding of alcohol’s effect on dopamine levels and will hopefully help lead to better treatment for those with alcohol addiction. Source: Hirth N, Meinhardt MW, Noori HR, et al. Convergent evidence from alcohol-dependent humans and rats for a hyperdopaminergic state in protracted abstinence. read more

Alcohol is a depressant, but it's also an indirect stimulant, and plays a few other roles that might surprise you. Alcohol directly affects brain chemistry by altering levels of neurotransmitters -- the chemical messengers that transmit the signals throughout the body that control thought processes, behavior and emotion. read more