Alcohol directly stimulates release of the neurotransmitter serotonin as well as natural substances related to opioids (i.e., endorphins) that may contribute to the “high” of intoxication. Serotonin helps regulate functions such as food and water intake, sexual response, and aggression. Changes in other neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine (which underlies key cardiovascular mechanisms, including dilation of blood vessels) and the catecholamines (the decreased transmission of which has been linked to the memory deficits of patients with KS [NIAAA 1993]), have been less consistently observed.
