To date, at least one variant in roughly 602 genes has been linked to Alcoholism and/or AD (visit: http://www.hugenavigator.net/HuGENavigator/startPagePhenoPedia.do; (Yu et al., 2010). Amongst these genes, there are several systems that have received special attention due to their neurological and pharmacological relevance to indentifying (1) molecular targets of alcohol, and (2) brain systems that are altered by the presence of alcohol. Unlike other substances (e.g., cocaine) alcohol has global neuronal effects. Alcohol alters the membranes, ion channels, enzymes, and receptors of neurons (Valenzuela, 1997). Alcohol has also been shown to alter the binding of receptors for acetylcholine, serotonin, GABA, and the NMDA receptors for glutamate (Mukherjee et al., 2008; Nevo and Hamon, 1995). Indisputably, the wide range of symptoms seen as part of AD are likely the result of individual differences in alcohol metabolism and alcohol-induced neuroplastic changes.
