BrainPod is the podcast from the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, produced in association with Nature Publishing Group. Join us as we delve into the latest basic and clinical research that advance our understanding of the brain and behavior, featuring highlighted content from a top journal in fields of neuroscience, psychiatry, and pharmacology. For complete access to the original papers and reviews featured in this podcast, subscribe to Neuropsychopharmacology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A taste for alcohol
Dr. David Kareken discusses how the urge to drink can be triggered by sensory cues alone. His latest research showed that a dopamine reaction took place in the brain when men were given a small amount of alcohol - enough to taste, but not enough to become intoxicated. The reaction was stronger in those with a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. This suggests that dopamine is involved in the desire to use a drug, even before the effects of the drug are felt, and that drug-seeking behavior can be triggered by a related environment.