Neurosteroids and the central actions of alcohol

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Alcohol abuse is now a tremendous problem in the UK. In the mid-20th century, the UK had a relatively low levels of alcohol consumption compared to other parts of Europe. However, alcohol consumption has fallen in many of these countries over the last 50 years, whereas it has increased in Britain. On average, we now have one of the highest levels of alcohol intake in the world. This has lead to marked increases in numbers of people suffering alcohol-related diseases. Alcohol-related deaths have doubled since the early 1990s, while the annual number of people being treated for alcohol-related mental health issues has increased by 10, 000. In 2001, treating these problems cost the NHS #~1.6 million, while alcohol related crime cost #7.3 million. As the numbers of Britons drinking to excess continues to rise, so will the effects of alcohol on public health.It is estimated that 8 million British adults drink excessively, of whom 3 million are believed to be dependent on alcohol. Chronic drinking changes many aspects of brain function which can make it extremely difficult for people to reduce their alcohol intake. Thus, many people will need medication to help wean themselves off drink and an important challenge for medical research is to develop safe, effective pharmaceuticals for this purpose. To do this, we must first understand exactly how alcohol affects the activity of the brain and what aspects of brain function change after years of drinking. It is well known that some people are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol than others. This has a genetic basis and it is clear that some people?s genetic make-up means that they are at much greater risk of becoming addicted to alcohol than others. Understanding why this is will improve the success of treatments. This research addresses these two fundamental questions: (1) how does alcohol influence brain function and (2) how is this influenced by a gene that is strongly linked to alcoholism.