The development of effective pharmacological treatments for alcohol and drug abuse depends on our understanding of the biological mechanisms that start and maintain these behaviors. Studies in animals and humans have confirmed that SEROTONIN is one of several NEUROTRANSMITTERS that influence drug-reinforcing behaviors. Pharmacological agents that enhance central serotonergic neurotransmission—in particular, serotoninuptake inhibitors (several of which have been marketed as antidepressants)—showconsiderable promise, as of the early 1990s, as effective treatments for the abuse of alcohol and some other drugs. These work by blocking the re-uptake of serotonin and thereby increase its concentration in the nerve SYNAPSE.

Alcohol Abuse

In the late 1980s, serotonin-uptake inhibitors were tested in various animal models of alcoholism—including selectively bred alcohol-preferring rats given a choice between water and an alcohol solution—and showed consistent decreases in the self-administration of...