Introduction to a Special Issue: Alcohol and Neural Plasticity

Abstract

The diseases and disorders associated with excessive alcohol consumption impact every developmental state and stage of life. The promiscuous pharmacology of alcohol (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) contributes to its broad effects on every organ system in the body (for review see [1]). The brain, however, is a particular target of its detrimental effects, whether exposure is from an individual’s consumption of alcoholic beverages or via exposure in the womb, as is the case in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Alcohol, as a small, lipid soluble agent distributes widely across the body and crosses the blood brain barrier to cause brain alcohol levels similar to that in the blood [2]. Although it has relatively low potency, alcohol has a wealth of direct and indirect effects on neurotransmitter and cell signaling systems [3]. As such, alcohol exposure impacts multiple aspects of neural plasticity from the level of the synapse through to the various forms of structural plasticity. This special issue on Alcohol and Neural Plasticity provides new discoveries on various derangements in the different aspects of plasticity by alcohol as well as timely, insightful reviews. The loss of control over alcohol intake concurrent with excessive consumption of alcohol are hallmarks of an alcohol use disorder (AUD), commonly referred