Effects of chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal on glutamatergic signaling at two afferent projections into the rat lateral/basolateral amygdala

Increased anxiety during alcohol withdrawal (WD) is a central characteristic of alcohol dependence and has been reported as a common, underlying cause of relapse. The lateral/basolateral amygdala (BLA) has been identified as a critical component of the neural circuitry that regulates a variety of emotional behaviors, including anxiety. Our laboratory has recently shown that chronic ethanol exposure and WD produce distinct synaptic alterations in the BLA that are input- and timing-specific. However, little is known about how specific inputs from distinct upstream brain regions are affected by chronic ethanol exposure.
Source: Alcohol - Category: Addiction Authors: Source Type: research