Full Description
This book delves into the intricate relationship between alcohol and the brain across different stages of life, offering groundbreaking insights from preclinical and clinical studies. From prenatal development to the complexities of aging, it unravels how alcohol interacts with neural networks, neurotransmitters, and cellular processes that govern behavior.
Starting with the prenatal period, the book will explore the effects of alcohol on the developing brain, shedding light on the potential cognitive and behavioral consequences that may persist into adulthood. It unravels the intricate mechanisms through which alcohol impacts neurodevelopment, including alterations in brain structure, neuronal connectivity, and synaptic plasticity. Moving into adolescence and early adulthood, the book will examine how alcohol affects crucial brain regions involved in decision-making, impulse control, and memory formation. It will explore the neurological changes associated with excessive alcohol consumption during this sensitive period, offering insights into the long-term risks of alcohol abuse and addiction. Throughout middle adulthood and into later life, the book will delve into the nuanced interplay between alcohol and age-related disorders, including neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Researchers in neuroscience, psychology, and related fields will find this book invaluable for its comprehensive exploration of alcohol's effects on the brain. It is an essential read for scholars, practitioners, and anyone interested in understanding the profound implications of alcohol consumption across the lifespan.
Contents
Part I. Effects of Alcohol on the Fetal Brain.- Chapter 1. Defects of Cortical Microcircuits Following Early Exposure to Alcohol.- Chapter 2. Ontogenetic Neuroimmune Changes Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Implications for Neurobehavioral Function.- Chapter 3. The Neurobiology of Learning and Memory in Rodent Models of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.- Chapter 4. Impact of Developmental Alcohol Exposure on the Thalamus.- Chapter 5. Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis as a Therapeutic Target in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.- Chapter 6. Impact of Developmental Alcohol Exposure on Sleep Physiology.- Chapter 7. Recent Advances in the Role of Non-coding RNAs in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.- Part II. Effects of Alcohol on the Adolescent Brain.- Chapter 8. Alcohol Dysregulation of Developing Cortical GABA Circuits.- Chapter 9. Impact of Neuroimmune System Activation by Adolescent Binge Alcohol Exposure on Adult Neurobiology.- Chapter 10. Excessive Alcohol Use as a Risk Factor for Alzheimer's Disease: Epidemiology and Preclinical Evidence.- Chapter 11. Recent Investigations Designed to Unravel the Interaction of Age and Alcohol on Behavior, Cognition, and Potential Neurobiological Mechanisms.- Part III. Effects of Alcohol on Aging.- Chapter 12. Adolescent Alcohol and the Spectrum of Cognitive Dysfunction in Aging.- Chapter 13. Changes in the Properties of Ethanol-Sensitive Molecular Targets during Maturation and Aging.
