Excitotoxic Mechanisms in Alcoholic Brain Damage

酒精性脑损伤中的兴奋性毒性机制

• 批准号: nhmrc : 401551
• 负责人: A/Pr Peter Dodd
• 金额: $ 25.86万
• 依托单位: The University of Queensland
• 依托单位国家: 澳大利亚
• 项目类别: NHMRC Project Grants
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 澳大利亚
• 起止时间: 2006-01-01 至 2008-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://researchdata.edu.au/excitotoxic-mechanisms-alcoholic-brain-damage/77234
• 关键词: Excitotoxic; Mechanisms; Alcoholic; Brain; Damage

Brain damage resulting from long-term alcohol abuse is localized to discrete regions of the brain and selectively impairs key neuropsychological functions. Alcohol misuse affects processes that control excitability in the brain, leading to the over-stimulation of brain cells. When this continues for long periods the cells are likely to die and most alcoholics misuse alcohol for most of their adult lives. We will study the human brain s capacity to use and respond to glutamate, its major natural excitant, in the regions that are selectively damaged by alcoholism. How these capacities are affected by heredity, and by diseases commonly associated with alcoholism such as cirrhosis of the liver, will also be explored. If we can understand how selective brain damage occurs in alcoholics we will be better able to devise new drug therapies to combat and prevent it. As well, localized brain damage is a feature of many neurological diseases, so the study will provide a general model of disease mechanisms.

长期酗酒导致的脑损伤局限于大脑的离散区域，并选择性地损害关键的神经心理功能。酒精滥用会影响大脑中控制兴奋性的过程，导致脑细胞的过度刺激。当这种情况持续很长一段时间时，细胞很可能会死亡，大多数酗酒者在成年后的大部分时间里都会滥用酒精。我们将研究人类大脑在酒精中毒选择性损伤的区域中使用和响应谷氨酸盐的能力，谷氨酸盐是其主要的天然刺激剂。这些能力如何受到遗传的影响，以及通常与酒精中毒有关的疾病，如肝硬化，也将被探讨。如果我们能够了解酗酒者的选择性脑损伤是如何发生的，我们将能够更好地设计新的药物疗法来对抗和预防它。此外，局部脑损伤是许多神经系统疾病的特征，因此这项研究将提供疾病机制的一般模型。