Effect of Chronic Use

• Tolerance

  • Functional Tolerance -- changes in GABA receptors
  • Acute Tolerance -- occurs within a drinking session
  • Environment-Dependent Tolerance -- brain learns to anticipate alcohol and to adjust accordingly
  • Learned Tolerance
  • Metabolic Tolerance

• Withdrawal

  • increased Anxiety within hours -- GABA
  • seizures -- GABA

• Dependence

  • changes in Dopamine and Seratonin function appear to be long lasting

SOURCE: Eighth Special Report to the US Congress on Alcohol and Health, US Dept. of HHS (1993), p 94-100

Alcohol Alert, 28, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, (1995)

Previous slide

Back to first slide

View graphic version