Editing Psychopharmacology (section)

===Alcohol===
[[Alcohol (drug)|Alcohol]] is a [[depressant]], the effects of which may vary according to dosage amount, frequency, and chronicity. As a member of the sedative-hypnotic class, at the lowest doses, the individual feels relaxed and less anxious. In quiet settings, the user may feel drowsy, but in settings with increased sensory stimulation, individuals may feel uninhibited and more confident. High doses of alcohol rapidly consumed may produce [[amnesia]] for the events that occur during intoxication. Other effects include reduced coordination, which leads to slurred speech, impaired fine-motor skills, and delayed reaction time. The effects of alcohol on the body's neurochemistry are more difficult to examine than some other drugs. This is because the chemical nature of the substance makes it easy to penetrate into the brain, and it also influences the [[phospholipid bilayer]] of neurons. This allows alcohol to have a widespread impact on many normal cell functions and modifies the actions of several neurotransmitter systems. Alcohol inhibits [[glutamate]] (a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system) neurotransmission by reducing the effectiveness at the [[NMDA]] receptor, which is related to memory loss associated with intoxication. It also modulates the function of [[GABA]], a major inhibitory amino acid neurotransmitter. Abuse of alcohol has also been correlated with thiamine deficiencies within the brain, leading to lasting neurological conditions that affect primarily the ability of the brain to effectively store memories.<ref name=":02">{{cite journal | vauthors = Fouarge E, Maquet P | title = [Neurological consequences of alcoholism] | journal = Revue Médicale de Liège | volume = 74 | issue = 5–6 | pages = 310–313 | date = May 2019 | pmid = 31206272 | url = https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31206272 }}</ref> One such neurological condition is called [[Korsakoff's syndrome]], for which very few effective treatment modalities have been found.<ref name=":02" /><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Thomson AD, Marshall EJ | title = The natural history and pathophysiology of Wernicke's Encephalopathy and Korsakoff's Psychosis | journal = Alcohol and Alcoholism | volume = 41 | issue = 2 | pages = 151–158 | date = 2006-03-01 | pmid = 16384871 | doi = 10.1093/alcalc/agh249 }}</ref> The reinforcing qualities of alcohol leading to repeated use – and thus also the mechanisms of withdrawal from chronic alcohol use – are partially due to the substance's action on the [[dopamine]] system. This is also due to alcohol's effect on the [[opioid]] systems, or [[endorphins]], that have opiate-like effects, such as modulating pain, mood, feeding, reinforcement, and response to stress.<ref name=Psychopharm />