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Alcoholism, a major public health problem throughout the world, causes enormous damage to health and quality of life and undermines the well-being of families and society. It is associated with liver disease, cancer, cardiovascular problems, accidental Over the last 20 years, rational drug treatment have arisen from better understanding of the neurobiological substrates of alcohol dependence, including adaptive changes in amino acid neurotransmitter systems, stimulation of dopamine and opioid peptide systems, and, possibly, changes in serotonergic activity. Disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprosate are currently the only treatments approved for the management of alcohol dependence. Data from studies of ondansetron and topiramate in alcohol dependence are somewhat promising, but it appears that these drugs have not yet demonstrated evidence of efficacy in large controlled clinical trials. Trials with SSRIs and some antipsychotics have yielded disappointing results. Because the biological basis of alcohol dependence appears to be multifactorial, the future of management of alcoholism may be combination therapy, using drugs acting on different neuronal pathways, such as acamprosate and naltrexone. Pharmacotherapy should be used in association with appropriate psychosocial support and specific treatment provided for any underlying psychiatric comorbidities.
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