Alcohol and the Addictive Brain
Four decades of research on addiction strongly suggest that alcoholism is caused by a genetic anomaly affecting the functioning of neurotransmitters within the brain. Blum, a pharmacologist, and Payne, executive director of the National Foundation for Addictive Diseases, summarize major research in this field, including Blum's own dramatic work in identifying a defect in the dopamine D2 receptor gene. The biochemical systems involved in the interaction of alcohol with the brain are extremely complex, and Blum and Payne's detailed, scientific account may discourage all but the most motivated reader. Nevertheless, Blum's stunning discovery and the promise it holds for future treatment should generate considerable interest. For academic and large public libraries.- Laurie Bartolini, Lincoln Lib., Springfield, Ill.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.