Eva Friedel and Andreas Heinz
Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
Suicidal Behavior in Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Dependence. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2010, 540 pages.

The serotonergic system originates in the brains raphé nuclei, from where serotonergic neurons project to subcortical and cortical brain areas  [1] (Figure 1). Dysfunction of central serotonergic neurotransmission has been associated with negative mood states such as anxiety and depression  [2-4] as well as with suicidality and impulsivity [5, 6]. Dysfunction of serotonergic neurotransmission has also been implicated in the development and maintenance of alcohol dependent behavior  [7]  [8]  [9]. In this chapter, we will first review studies that associate serotonin dysfunction with psychpathological correlates such as impulsivity or negative mood states, we will than review studies, that associate serotonergic dysfunction with the development of alcohol dependence and finally focus on studies, which assessed serotonin dysfunction in alcohol dependent subjects and we will try to identify a specific psychopathological correlate of serotonin dysfunction in manifest alcoholism.