With the background on these rat animal models of alcoholism and techniques to assess different stages in the addiction cycle laid out, a comprehensive list of ligands tested in these rat animal models was presented in Table 4. The purpose of the table is to give researchers, both clinical and preclinical, a primary resource to examine previous work aimed at manipulating particular neurotransmitter/neuromodulator systems within the milieu of genetic selection. Today, there is greater recognition that, in order to be effective, treatments will have to be tailored to an individual’s genetic and behavioral make-up, including co-morbid psychiatric conditions. The neurotransmitter/neuromodulator systems mediating these co-morbid conditions often overlap with the systems mediating alcohol abuse and dependence (Table 3). Tables 3 and 4 will allow investigators of these co-morbid conditions to recognize compounds or neurobiological systems that are effective in ameliorating or mediating disorders in their area of expertise. Thus, compounds approved to treat these co-morbid conditions may be successfully repurposed to treat alcohol abuse and dependence as well.
