Involvement of the Dorsal Vagal Complex in Alcohol-Related Behaviors

Abstract

The neurobiological mechanisms that regulate the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD) are complex and involve a wide variety of within and between systems neuroadaptations. While classic reward, preoccupation, and withdrawal neurocircuits have been heavily studied in terms of AUD, viable treatment targets from this established literature have not proven clinically effective as of yet. Therefore, examination of additional neurocircuitries not classically studied in the context of AUD may provide novel therapeutic targets. Recent studies demonstrate that various neuropeptides systems are important modulators of alcohol reward, seeking, and intake behaviors. This includes neurocircuitry within the dorsal vagal complex (DVC), which is involved in the control of the autonomic nervous system, control of intake of natural rewards like food, and acts as a relay of interoceptive sensory information via interactions of numerous gut-brain peptides and neurotransmitter systems with DVC projections to central and peripheral targets. DVC neuron subtypes produce a variety of neuropeptides and transmitters and project to target brain regions critical for reward such as the mesolimbic dopamine system as well as other limbic areas important for the negative reinforcing and aversive properties of alcohol withdrawal such as the extended amygdala. This suggests the DVC may play a role in the modulation of various aspects of AUD. This review summarizes the current literature on neurotransmitters and neuropeptides systems in the DVC (e.g., norepinephrine, glucagon-like peptide 1, neurotensin, cholecystokinin, thyrotropin-releasing hormone), and their potential relevance to alcohol-related behaviors in humans and rodent models for AUD research. A better understanding of the role of the DVC in modulating alcohol related behaviors may lead to the elucidation of novel therapeutic targets for drug development in AUD.

Neurotensin and Alcohol Use Disorders: Towards a Pharmacological Treatment

“…The neurobiological background of AUD affects many neurotransmitters, including peptides, that modulate brain connections in various regions. This review focuses on NT, but it is essential to consider the participation of NT in a broader context, contemplating the action of other neurotransmitters [106].…”

The integrative process promoted by EMDR in dissociative disorders: neurobiological mechanisms, psychometric tools, and intervention efficacy on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The DVC, which retains traumatic memories (Kolacz and Porges, 2018 ; Kolacz et al, 2019 ), contains the NTS, the DMNX, and area postrema. It has been shown that the NTS was able to project to the PVN (that is downstream to NREM-1-like EMDR SEMs-activated VLPO area) and to the NAc (Keller et al, 2022 ). As mentioned before, NAc is also able to project to the parabrachial nucleus that, in turn, projects to the NTS (Lazarus et al, 2012 ).…”