Work

Alcohol and Pain: A Translational Review of Preclinical and Clinical Findings to Inform Future Treatment Strategies

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and chronic pain are enduring and devastating conditions that share an intersecting epidemiology and neurobiology. Chronic alcohol use itself can produce a characteristic painful neuropathy, while the regular analgesic use of alcohol in the context of nociceptive sensitization and heightened affective pain sensitivity may promote negative reinforcement mechanisms that underlie AUD maintenance and progression. The goal of this review was to provide a broad translational framework that communicates research findings spanning preclinical and clinical studies, including a review of genetic, molecular, behavioral, and social mechanisms that facilitate interactions between persistent pain and alcohol use. We also consider recent evidence that will shape future investigations into novel treatment mechanisms for pain in individuals suffering from AUD.

Source: Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research

DOI: 10.1111/acer.14260

Authors: Scott Edwards, Leandro F. Vendruscolo, Nicholas W. Gilpin, Marcin Wojnar, Katie Witkiewitz

Institutions: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Medical University of Warsaw, University of Michigan, University of New Mexico

Language: English

Topic: Pain Mechanisms and Treatments

Subfield: Physiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze