The effects of the acute administration of low-dosage ethanol on the phasic neurochemical oscillations of the basal ganglia.

The effects of the acute ethanol consumption on the brain's neurochemistry are largely studied at the synaptic level. Here, the acute action of low dosages of ethanol, in terms of the inhibition of the glutamatergic system through antagonizing the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, on the neurochemical oscillations along the neurocircuitry of the basal ganglia is investigated by mathematical models. Substantial alterations in the dynamical behaviour of the neurochemical oscillations after single administration of low dosages of ethanol have been observed. Significant dynamical changes in the gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate systems along the subthalamic-pallidal feedback loop and the dopamine system of the striatal complex suggest new perspectives in the understanding of the ethanol-induced motor dysfunctions.