Cited by 408Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorSubstance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Correlation Between Dopamine D2 Receptors in the Ventral Striatum and Central Processing of Alcohol Cues and Craving

Heinz, Andreas, Siessmeier, Thomas, Wrase, Jana, Hermann, Derik, Klein, Sabine, Grüsser-Sinopoli, Sabine M., Flor, Herta, Braus, Dieter F. +7 more·2004·American Journal of Psychiatry

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol and other drugs of abuse stimulate dopamine release in the ventral striatum, which includes the nucleus accumbens, a core region of the brain reward system, and reinforce substance intake. Chronic alcohol intake is associated with down-regulation of central dopamine D2 receptors, and delayed recovery of D2 receptor sensitivity after detoxification is positively correlated with high risk for relapse. Prolonged D2 receptor dysfunction in the ventral striatum may interfere with a dopamine-dependent error detection signal and bias the brain reward system toward excessive attribution of incentive salience to alcohol-associated stimuli. METHOD: Multimodal imaging, with the radioligand [18F]desmethoxyfallypride and positron emission tomography as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), was used to compare 11 detoxified male alcoholics with 13 healthy men. The authors measured the association of D2-like dopamine receptors in the ventral striatum with alcohol craving and central processing of alcohol cues. RESULTS: Activation of the medial prefrontal cortex and striatum by alcohol-associated stimuli, relative to activation by neutral visual stimuli, was greater in the detoxified alcoholics than in the healthy men. The alcoholics displayed less availability of D2-like receptors in the ventral striatum, which was associated with alcohol craving severity and with greater cue-induced activation of the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate as assessed with fMRI. DISCUSSION: In alcoholics, dopaminergic dysfunction in the ventral striatum may attribute incentive salience to alcohol-associated stimuli, so that alcohol cues elicit craving and excessive activation of neural networks associated with attention and behavior control.

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Crossref · 10.1176/ajp.161.10.1783

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Authors
Heinz, A., Siessmeier, T., Wrase, J., Hermann, D., Klein, S., Grüsser-Sinopoli, S. M., Flor, H., Braus, D. F., Buchholz, H. G., Gründer, G., Schreckenberger, M., Smolka, M. N., Rösch, F., Mann, K., & Bartenstein, P.
Venue
American Journal of Psychiatry
Published
2004-10-01
Volume
161
Issue
10
Pages
1783-1789
ISSN
  • 0002-953X (ISSN-L)
  • 1535-7228
OpenAlex
W4250265709
Cited by
408
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 80 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 15
FWCI
5.03
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
American Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
dopamine D2 receptor, ventral striatum, alcohol craving, alcohol cues, incentive salience, alcoholism, alcohol detoxification, nucleus accumbens, medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, error detection, relapse risk, brain reward system

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