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How many cravings? Pharmacological aspects of craving treatment in alcohol addiction: a review.

Addolorato G, Abenavoli L, Leggio L, Gasbarrini G

Institute of Internal Medicine, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy. g.addolorato@rm.unicatt.it

In the last decade, craving has increasingly been considered an important target for the treatment of patients with alcohol problems, and several drugs able to interfere with the neurotransmitters involved in craving mechanisms have been experimented. However, different subtypes of patients could have different mechanisms at the basis of alcohol craving. In this review, the main drugs currently used in the treatment of patients with alcohol problems are described. A hypothesis of pharmacological treatment of the different types of craving is also discussed.

Published 29 March 2005 in Neuropsychobiology, 51(2): 59-66.
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