Alcohol dependence is a common mental disorder that is associated with substantial disease burden. Current efforts at prevention and treatment of alcohol dependence are of very limited effectiveness. A better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying dependence is essential to improving the outcomes of treatment and prevention initiatives. To date, most of the efforts have focused on the key role of the dopamine system in the complex etiological network of alcohol dependence. This review summarizes current research about the relationships between alcohol consumption and the dopaminergic system. We find that many of the currently available studies have contradictory results, presumably due to differences in methodology, non-linear dosage effects, use of different samples, and the possible confounding effects of other neurotransmitter systems.
酒精依赖是一种常见的精神疾病，社会危害大，疾病负担重。目前致力于酒精依赖的预防和治疗的研究取得的成果比较有限。为了进一步完善酒精依赖的治疗和预防措施，有必要对酒精依赖潜在的生物学机制进行深入探究。迄今为止，针对酒精依赖错综复杂的病因学的研究，大部分聚焦于多巴胺系统的关键作用。本综述总结了目前国内外对饮酒行为与多巴胺能系统之间关系的研究，发现研究结果并不一致，甚至相互矛盾，可能是由于方法学的差异、非线性的剂量效应、样本的选取差异以及多巴胺系统与其它神经递质系统之间可能存在交互作用等因素造成。
Keywords: alcohol dependence; dopamine; neurobiochemistry; review.