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Thursday, May 14, 2009

Dopamine and Serotonin Transporter Availability During Acute Alcohol Withdrawal: Effects of Comorbid Tobacco Smoking
Neuropsychopharmacology advance online publication 13 May 2009


Tobacco smoking is highly comorbid with heavy alcohol drinking, yet the interaction of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking on brain catecholaminergic synaptic markers is unexplored. Here we evaluate the effects of alcohol drinking alone from comorbid alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking on dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) transporter availability.
During the first week of abstinence, DA and 5-HT transporter availability is higher in alcohol drinking nonsmokers but not in alcohol drinking smokers. Smoking appears to suppress neuroadaptive changes in DA and 5-HT transporters during acute withdrawal from alcohol.




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