The Science of Addiction: How Alcohol Affects the Brain

Recent scientific advances in the neurobiology of addiction have facilitated an improved understanding of how alcohol impacts the brain. These insights have helped formulate alcohol use disorder (AUD) as a chronic and relapsing disease hallmarked by distinct neuroadaptations that predispose an individual to pursue alcohol irrespective of harmful consequences. The underlying neurobiology of AUD consists of an addiction cycle that has three recurring stages: intoxication/binge, withdrawal/negative affect, and preoccupation/anticipation. An individual’s predisposition to this addiction cycle is multifactorial and includes certain genetic, epigenetic, and psychological factors. Understanding these neurobiological underpinnings will help make sense of AUD’s signs and symptoms, which traverse life’s physical, psychological, and social domains. This chapter aims to delve into the neurobiological stages of addiction, elucidate risk factors for developing AUD, and review the diagnostic criteria of AUD.