Is animal research on alcoholism still needed?
Although animal models have revealed important information on possible causes of alcoholism, more research is crucial. One unanswered question is how alcohol interacts with the central nervous system and what the specific neurotransmitter systems are. Research using animals plays an essential role in mapping these processes. Animal research is also necessary for learning how alcohol and other drugs interact because in many instances they are combined. What’s ahead for research on alcoholism? Finding the causes of alcoholism and developing effective treatments are high research priorities. In addition to revealing more about the effects and causes of alcoholism, a long tradition of animal research by psychologists, pharmacologists, neuroscientists, physiologists, and physicians continues to play an important role in establishing effective treatment programs for humans. Because animals have many of the same biological and behavioral reactions to alcohol as humans, animal research remains
