Tipsy signals: new electrophysiological perspectives on alcohol use and addiction

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by persistent maladaptive changes in brain circuits mediating reward, control, and memory. This review summarizes recent electrophysiological findings on alcohol-induced acute and permanent alterations in key regions implicated in AUD, including the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Across these networks, alcohol does not simply produce global excitation or inhibition, but rather induces cell type- and circuit-specific adaptations leading to impaired cortical executive control and increasingly rigid, reward-driven behavior. Emerging evidence further highlights the role of projection-defined neuronal ensembles, local inhibitory microcircuits, and multifunctional neurotrophic factors like activin and BDNF. Together, these findings support a view of AUD as a disorder of distributed circuit reorganization and provide a mechanistic framework for future translational approaches targeting compulsive alcohol use and relapse.