Research on alcohol-related neurological disorders has centered on damage to the limbic system, diencephalon, and cerebral cortex. In addition, damage to central neurotransmitter systems has been considered as possibly contributing to alcohol-related abnormalities with harmful neurological consequences. Future research should help clarify the relative importance of the many biochemical effects of alcohol at all levels, from its effects on the preservation and replication of the genetic code embodied in DNA and the synthesis of new proteins, to the activities of neurotransmitters, receptors, neurons, and the entire brain. This information will link cellular changes directly to specific neurological consequences observed clinically. In the absence of a cure for alcohol addiction, a detailed understanding of the biochemical actions of alcohol on nerve cells may help in designing therapies to ameliorate its devastating neurological effects.
