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Of Mice and Minis

Novel Forms and Analyses of Ethanol Effects on Synaptic Plasticity

  • Chapter
The “Drunken” Synapse

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Abstract

Our basic understanding of synaptic neurobiology has undergone major shifts over the past decade. These revisions in this basic field, in combination with the application of advanced techniques in electrophysiology and molecular biology, have had a great impact on the study of the synaptic basis of alcohol-related brain disorders (intoxication, tolerance, dependence, withdrawal hyperexcitability, prenatal alcohol effects and neurotoxicity). One of the more definitive shifts is relative to the original Meyer-Overton derived work. Previously many investigators focused upon lipid effects and related intra-neuronal signaling processes (i.e. effects of ethanol on spike generation, conduction and repolarization mechanisms) (Chin and Goldstein, 1977; Hunt, 1985). Since the demonstration of specific effects of ethanol on distinct synaptic receptors, there has been a refocusing of work on the effects of ethanol on inter-neuronal signaling processes. Most investigators today agree the involvement of synaptic receptors in alcohol-related disorders is paramount and likely a major site of ethanol action on neural systems.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Institute for Neuroscience and The Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology The College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 78712-1074, USA

    Richard A. Morrisett & Mark P. Thomas

Authors
  1. Richard A. Morrisett
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  2. Mark P. Thomas
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Yuan Liu  & Walter A. Hunt  & 

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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Morrisett, R.A., Thomas, M.P. (1999). Of Mice and Minis. In: Liu, Y., Hunt, W.A. (eds) The “Drunken” Synapse. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4739-6_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4739-6_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7148-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4739-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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