Acute Pharmacological Actions of Ethanol on the Central Nervous System

Abstract

The mechanisms by which ethanol produces its effects on the central nervous system are both diverse and complicated. An increasing amount of evidence, however, suggests that many of the primary and secondary effects of this chemical may be related to its interaction with the cell membrane (Hunt, 1975). During the initial phase of ethanol absorption, there is a depression of motor function, leading to overall depression of the central nervous system. Continued administration of ethanol leads to a tolerance of this sedative-hypnotic effect so that, over time, the animal or human no longer responds to the same concentration of ethanol with characteristic depression.