Erickson C K
Division of Pharmacology/Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas, Austin 78712-1074, USA.
Alcohol Alcohol Suppl. 1996 Mar;31(1):5-11.
Studies on the genetic basis of addiction indicate that the tendency to develop alcoholism is inherited. In addition, alcoholism appears to be associated with a specific neurochemical disorder. Research has focused on the mesolimbic system, which is associated with the ability to feel pleasure (i.e. hypothalamic control centres are related to daily survival activities, and the medial forebrain bundle is involved in the positive reinforcement of addictive drugs). Current findings support the hypothesis that a neurochemical deficiency causes alcohol-dependent individuals to drink. Thus, pharmacotherapy may play an important part in treating those who are not helped by psychosocial therapy alone. Future therapies may include agents that block, enhance, or normalize neurotransmitter function as well as genetically engineered agents that could target a specific cause of alcoholism.
关于成瘾遗传基础的研究表明，酗酒倾向是可遗传的。此外，酗酒似乎与一种特定的神经化学紊乱有关。研究集中在中脑边缘系统，该系统与感受愉悦的能力相关（即下丘脑控制中心与日常生存活动有关，而内侧前脑束参与成瘾药物的正性强化作用）。目前的研究结果支持这样一种假说，即神经化学缺陷导致酒精依赖个体饮酒。因此，药物治疗可能在治疗那些仅靠心理社会治疗无效的患者中发挥重要作用。未来的治疗方法可能包括阻断、增强或使神经递质功能正常化的药物，以及能够针对酗酒特定病因的基因工程药物。
