Location of some of the regions in the human brain that are affected by alcohol, including the mesolimbic dopamine system (which includes the ventral tegmental area [VTA], nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex), amygdala, striatum, and hippocampus.

SOURCE: Clapp, P.; Bhave, S.V.; and Hoffman, P.L. How adaptation of the brain to alcohol leads to dependence: A pharmacological perspective. Alcohol Research & Health 31(4):310–339, 2008.

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Updated: October 2009