One of the most consistently reported findings in long-term alcoholics is a reduction of dopamine D2/D3 receptors throughout the brain (for a detailed review see for a detailed review see Volkow et al., 2017). Loss of inhibitory dopaminergic receptors could explain some of the behavioral features displayed by alcoholics, such as lack of impulse inhibition and compulsive behavioral patterns (Volkow, Koob, & McLellan, 2016). However, it remains controversial if such changes persist after long-term abstinence. Whereas Volkow and colleagues demonstrated a persistent reduction of striatal D2/D3 receptors for 4 months after abstinence (Volkow et al., 2002), Rominger and colleagues showed significant upregulation of D2/D3 receptors in a subpopulation of alcoholics with 1 year of abstinence (Rominger et al., 2012).
