ABSTRACT
Overconsumption of alcohol can have a signifi cant negative impact on the brain, manifesting in neurological dysfunctions including cognitive impairment and dementia (Bates et al., 2002; Nixon, 2006). These adverse effects have been attributed to ethanol’s effects on neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity and the structural integrity of the neuronal network (Harper, 1998; Nixon, 2006). The mechanisms through which ethanol acts upon these processes, however, are not clearly understood. Some studies have suggested that ethanol and its metabolites including acetaldehyde and acetate are directly neurotoxic; others suggest that a hyperglutamatergic
1 Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33620.
